by Jake Yaniak
With this rejoinder given, she lay aside her weapons and her armor and chased after him, darting from the Nunnery like an arrow released from its string.
At first Zefru thought he would pass into the east, and from thence, south to Kharku to disappear without a worry. But as this somber race continued, he perceived that his pursuer was ever gaining upon him. His confidence left him and he turned his attention to the dangers at hand.
The terrain over which they ran, and the many rivers and lands they traversed in that short while would be uninteresting to recount and unnecessary to understand. Suffice it to say, they traversed the Daunrys and passed into Noras, where Zefru hoped to escape his assailant. By the time he had reached Gavl Lake, he was running like a madman, being unable to give any thought to his next step.
When at last he was overtaken, he flung himself to the ground and sued for peace, saying, 'Blessed are the gods who overthrow the old order, and who set to right all that the devils have hitherto done. You have overcome me, now I shall be your servant forevermore.'
'Even as you have sworn to Agonistes before?'
'Even as I thus swore!' he assured her.
'And then to Ghestik, his servant?'
'Even so, I swear.'
'And then again, as you swore to Agonistes upon his return?'
Zefru became silent as swiftly as he had run.
'What use have the heavens of such an erring star as you? What use has a carpenter of a tool that cuts both wood and flesh?'
He stepped back, knowing that he had nothing to answer. The thought of Kharku came to him again. He made as if to run southward, and ran off in a full sprint. But when Mityai darted off after him, he turned abruptly and struck her in the throat, running in the opposite direction with all the speed he could muster.
When she had recovered, she stood upon her feet and called out, in a voice that echoed through all that land. 'Zefru, you servant of darkness, whithersoever the highest wages were paid, there has your heart always been loyal. But you have overlooked that in addition to power and honor, there are other wages for treachery and deceit!' Saying this, she lifted her bare arm to heaven, and took from the air a great bow, forged in starlight, and glowing with the light of the seven brothers Septimai, who the Knarse say reign over the wicked in hell. She set a single arrow to the string and let it fly into the north. It followed hard after the devil, who by now had run more than a league from her. When he turned, the arrow turned to follow, and when he dodged between the thick trees of Noras, the arrow likewise dodged, until he perceived that there was naught he could do to escape it. At last, when he could bear it no more, he turned and made one desperate attempt to snatch the astral missile from the air. It burnt his invisible fingers and pierced his shoulder without resistance, felling him for all his treachery in an instant.
Realization of Dreams
Paley had scarcely finished speaking when Mityai returned to him, her pursuit of the devil Zefru at an end. She was once more arrayed in the armor of heaven and she carried with her the spear of Paley. 'Now, Mityai, take this child to his destiny. It is the hour of the judgment of the gods.'
Daryas found himself suddenly alone, seeing now no sign of what had come to pass. He found the sword of Hiron laying at his feet. He took this into his hands and rushed from the tower.
The fire was now climbing up the very walls of the Nunnery, and Daryas scarcely escaped the building with his life. All the while he called out the name of his beloved, 'Leonara!'. Knowing there was nowhere else she could have been taken, he made his way north through the burning forest toward the Temple. The flames leapt about him and seemed to his eyes like so many devils, seeking to lick his life away like a wolf licks the blood of its prey. He pressed on, not knowing that it was the shield of Mityai that kept the fires of Fuehar, that devilish elemental, from harming him.
When he emerged at last from the flames, he found himself surrounded by many hundreds of Amlamani soldiers. He stood right before their eyes, but they saw him not. Mityai unloosed her flowing hair and wrapped it around him, shielding the firelight from illuminating him.
Seeing that the door of the Temple was held fast, and seeing the many hundreds of warriors and guards surrounding the entrance on every side, he felt his chances would be better if he sought out some other entrance. Mityai secretly led him around to the northeastern side of the Temple where there were several large drains that had been neglected since the ancient days. Perceiving that these must have, at least in the ancient days, led into the Temple, Daryas crawled inside and vanished into the darkness. Whether it was the direction of Mityai, or some memory from his many visions, Daryas rushed through the labyrinthine waterways swiftly and with ease. He came at last to a great pool, carved with the white stones of Dadron. The stones of the pool were severely damaged, however, and no water could be held within them.
Down several narrow halls he ran until at last he saw a great flicker of lights ahead. Three guards withstood him, but he cast them aside and dashed ahead, giving no thought to whether or not they pursued him.
When he came at last to the Temple and to the place where the Altar and idol of the dark good stood, he stopped short and felt his breath bleed from his lungs. A voice now spoke, and he recognized it at once as the voice that had so sorely troubled him for all these years. It said, 'There was a time, Lord Havoc, when you sought to do great evil and to rise above all the tyrants of the past. But you have failed, so now you make an attempt at virtue. But I will see to it now that your virtue goes as unrewarded as your mischief.'
'My son!' Rahdmus pleaded, 'Do not do this thing, do not cut off she who alone has always bore you goodwill, though you have become unworthy of it. You know, Volthamir, that you cannot do right in harming this girl.' When he saw that his entreaty was not being received he said in desperation, 'Take at least, my life in her stead. For it was I who led your uncle to slay his cousin; a thing he would never have done without my guidance. It was I who led your uncle to humiliate you, pouring out poison in this very Temple. Slay me, for you know as well as I, that the elves are for all their pretensions, yet mortal.'
'Mortal?' Volthamir said with an empty grin, 'So you say. We are all mortal; and you above all others know what that means in the end.' He then looked about the room, to see if there was any hope of escape.
His own warriors were still locked out, though it was certain that even now they were preparing to batter down the doors. But he could not hope to withstand the many swords of the Noras warriors for long. His heart sunk and he breathed quickly, hating himself for feeling fear in the face of death. 'Mortal,' he muttered. Then he turned once more to Rahdmus and spoke those words that had echoed in Daryas' mind for all these years:
'Answer me swiftly mortal, for I am about to die. Forget Hell and Flame; forget god and gavel. Leave behind you all superstition and sympathy and answer me truly. Why should I, at the moment of my death, choose that which is right over that which I have always desired? For I have paid my dues and now I have but one last choice to make.'
With that he pushed the sword so hard against the Princess' throat that it drew blood from her neck, which dripped onto her white dress. Her face turned white and she shut her eyes, streaming tears down her cheeks like a waterfall. Suddenly, the mighty hand of Volthamir felt a greater power act upon it, pulling his arm away from Leonara's throat with irresistible might. The Princess, now freed, fled to the side of Daryas, who now stood between the King and his victim.
'Galvahirne,' he said with disdain, 'Ever does your breed bring insult to the people of Amlaman.' He lifted his sword and prepared to strike.
The clash of his evil blade against Aevangelu was fierce and loud, shaking the very walls of the Temple it seemed. Light poured from the blades as the spirits of Legion poured their malice into each of the King's attacks. But Aevangelu dispelled every dark soul and slew the spirits even as they struck against it. Weaker and weaker the King's blows grew and Daryas' stronger, until at last the King fel
l back onto the ground.
'I have come to answer your riddle, lord Aganthos,' Daryas said with a great calmness in his voice. 'So long as you measure every deed according to your own ambitions, you will never find reason to sacrifice your own pleasure. There is no answer, then; and there is nothing to stop you from pursuing your own ends even to the end. For who ever said that doing good meant having good? There is naught left, then, but to make a choice and cast your lot with God or with the Devil. But whether you think there be gods or no, it matters not; for we are not judged according to what knowledge is given to us, but according to that which is made manifest by the path we choose. Herein the denier will always have the disadvantage that at the outset they have chosen to reject that wherein alone they might find righteousness. But if you are looking in this life for profit, then there is naught that any man can say to you.'
Volthamir flew into a rage and knocked the son of Biron to the ground, bringing his sword down swiftly upon him. But Daryas caught his wrist and, thrust his own blade through the King's chest. All the strength and might of Agonistes passed from him in that instant and he fell, as all men must, to the ground in death.
Rahdmus leapt atop the Altar and took his lifeless body into his arms, weeping and crying, 'Would that I might have been punished in your stead! For your crimes and mine are one and the same.' There he remained for a short while, mourning bitterly the loss of his old student, wishing that Daryas would drive a sword through his own heart as well.
Daryas fell to his knees in exhaustion and took the Princess in his arms. There they knelt and embraced one another, each weeping for the sorrows of the other.
But it still remained that surrounding the Temple were many thousands of warriors, still sworn to the perished king, and many terrified worshippers, still hiding within the Temple itself. In a moment these might burst forth and make an end of the small band of Galva heroes. But at that instant, the fires of Agonistes began to wax hot and the whole Altar became illuminated by the fire of the idol's eyes. Smoke billowed from his nostrils, and a great sound echoed from below, speaking words that could not be understood.
'What is this?' Daryas asked, growing uneasy.
'It is nothing,' Rahdmus answered, coming to his senses. 'It is the death cry of the old superstition, and the final gasp of the Welderan gods. My former works are undone at last.'
Yet it remained that the people began to prostrate themselves before the idol, thinking the murder of the king to have angered him. Such was the lamentation of the priests of Agonistes that even some of the Noras grew afraid, thinking indeed that the dark god was prepared to avenge himself upon them. Rahdmus drew near to the mouth of the god and, taking the Naming Stone from beneath his garments, he, with a slight reluctance, let it slide into the mouth of the idol. It rolled down his iron throat and lodged itself within some unseen place. The great voice of the dark god echoed through the Temple still, not daunted by this blasphemous act. But when once again the attempt was made to frighten the people with flame and light, there was naught but the groan of iron, and the fire and smoke alike were stopped up. There was a great burst of flame, and the dark god sunk into the earth a whole three feet, the head breaking off its foundation and shattering to pieces upon the ground. The ancient machinery that had hitherto ensnared the people of Amlaman was no more. Agonistes was now, to them, naught but a broken stone.
The Noras cheered while the holy men of Agonistes lamented; for the fraud that had for all these ages been inflicted upon the devout men of Agonistes was now revealed. All was confusion and chaos until Rahdmus lifted his voice to the people. 'Men of Amlaman, men of Ramlos, servants of that god who now lies dead before your eyes. Do you not now see that the power that lives and breathes within us does not, as this idol did, depend upon us for its might and influence. Turn away from the false gods of your fathers, and let your old faith lay in rubble, even as this devil now lies.
'Warriors of Amlaman and guardians of Sten-Agoni, bear witness to this, before you lies the body of Voltan's heir, who once was king over Amlaman. By his uncle's will, and by his own craven deeds, he bore upon his brow the Dual Crown of Joplis, which before Vulcan, none but your first father had worn. I call you to bear record with me, that the lordship of Ramlos must now pass to the daughter of Vulcan, who was rightful king of the northern realm. But of the south, let the remaining sons of Voltan come forth to make their claims without war or subtlety, and we will try their cases and hear their petitions, but only of those who have not engaged in seditious wars and violent uprisings against this land. For he who slays his kinsmen in rebellion is only a little better than he who slays them in tyranny.'
Chapter IX:
The Punishment of the Gods
Dark God
When Agonistes was driven from the body of Volthamir, he fled from the Temple without delay, feeling in himself already the pangs of a death that would soon come upon him. He fled into the night, evading the eyes of both spirits and men, hoping to disappear from the land, 'For a time,' he encouraged himself. But as he entered the smoldering woods that lay to the north of the Temple, he felt upon his skin the eyes of another. He turned abruptly and saw naught but an old man, wearing a robe of brown with a rope belt.
'Walk with me a while, Agonas' he said, much to the surprise of the fierce devil, who was in no wise accustomed to being seen by any who was not likewise spirit, and he had never been in the presence of one who did not quake at the mention of his name.
'I shall not walk with you,' Agonistes laughed, 'Do you not know who I am?'
'I know who you are, indeed,' the man said. 'I knew your mother, and her mother before her. I knew your father, and I knew all the kings of your line. I know also how your line ended. Now, come along.' Having thus commanded him, the old man took the spirit by the hand and pulled him irresistibly into a clearing, where he was told to look at the stars above. 'Can you give me the number of these bright lights?' the old man demanded.
Agonistes pulled away, but found himself unable to escape the old man's grasp.
'How should I know their number?'
'And to what end do they burn in the veil of heaven? Can you tell me that?'
'Who can know?'
'Look now at the earth below, and tell me, is it a work of wisdom or a work of chaos?'
Agonistes just shook his head.
'You know not the purpose of the world, yet you have the courage to lay claim to it? Your own presumptuousness condemns you. All is power, you have long said, and now it shall be revealed to you the truth of those words.' The old man released his hand and stepped away from him, transforming in an instant to a great dragon, bathed in white starlight. Hundreds of drops of light, like beads of rain fell from above into the clearing, growing swiftly into immense creatures, such as Agonistes had not seen since the destruction of the Northern world.
'All is power, yet power is but a trifle for us.'
'What can I answer?' Agonistes said, with great fear in his voice.
'There is nothing to answer,' the great dragon answered. 'Your time has come, and your humiliation has in this hour begun.'
From the midst of the dragons stepped Mityai arrayed like a goddess in the armor of Paley, holding her spear aloft. Her eyes shone cold with the judgment of heaven, and she struck the foul demon in the throat with the invincible iron of her weapon.
A great light shot up from that clearing, reaching, it seemed, to the very heavens above, and from that hour not a rumor or a whisper concerning the fate of Agonistes has been heard. When an end of Agonistes had been made, Paley resumed his human form and said to Mityai, 'Now, quickly, go into the south; there is one more god to be judged.' Obeying immediately, she turned and rushed into the south over hill and stream.
Cheru and Oblis
There were three great gods who in ancient times served as the guardians of Lord Pelas, when he reigned over the northern world with his brother. These were named, in order of their might, Ginat, Oblis and lastly, Cheru. Now Gin
at, who was known as the Gigas, had already met his end some time ago, when the dark god first reappeared in Amlaman. He had been charged with guarding the wastes of Razzun, which are called by men the 'Gates of Hell'. For in Razzun there is a valley into which even birds of the air fall upon entering, so strong is the influence of the swampy gases that rise from within.
By the time the events I have recounted had come to pass, Pelas had neglected his communication with his mightiest servant, believing Agonistes to have been swallowed up in the flames of hell never to return. But Pelas' hand was not strong enough to send his equal so deep, and in due course, the dark god returned. Finding his way obstructed by the Gigas, however, he took to the wilds of Razzun, and waited there among the crows, who alone among carrion inhabited that perilous land. There he waited, sending by means of the crows a summons to all those devils who had once served him faithfully. Ghestik he neglected entirely, knowing that he was too strong willed to once more submit himself to his lordship. By means of these crows, Lord Havoc, who by long experience had learned all such methods of communication, came to know of the return of Agonistes.
Fit to be the subject of a book itself, Lord Havoc's battle against the invisible giant of Razzun was one of the greatest feats of elven might, whatever his purposes might have been. In the end he struck the god down and trapped his power within his sword, which is something that only he and his father knew the method of doing. Imbued with the power of Ginat, Lord Havoc became a veritable god among warriors.
Cheru and Oblis, though the mightiest of Pelas' servants, were considerably weaker in strength, though both of them were wiser in council. Of these two, Cheru proved the more patient and thoughtful, almost to the point of slothfulness. Oblis was stronger, but could not be relied upon for long tasks.
Cheru had acquired for himself a reputation for courage and strength in the old world, for having slain the wicked Amro, who at one time threatened to bring war against Pelas and his comrades. I say wicked because that is how he was described by those few who recorded such distant events. But wickedness as well as beauty, is all too often affected by the viewer more than by anything else. The deeds of Oblis were no less remarkable, though they are utterly lost to legend and myth.