After two weeks, the fires had finally burned to nothing. Sybil’s world was gone, the beauty she had made reduced to ash, her home and her prison gone forever. It wasn’t as Min had planned, but it was just as well. She was losing hope that her dreams would ever reach fruition. Thought had turned his back on her long ago, and though she loved him still, she doubted he would ever return.
The pantheon was dead, as dead as this world. And no matter how hard she tried, she might never recreate it. She had once felt that spark in Sybil, the spark of Life, and it had strengthened her resolve, but Death had been impossible to create. And now Sybil was dead.
Min often wondered if her god scorned her. She stood on a barren world, one that had never lived, and never would, before a portal which linked it to another. All she did, she did for Absence, just as Thought had said she must. But even with the fragility of life, her every attempt at creating Death had failed.
With its crimson-lined frame, the portal had been wrong. Whoever had opened it, had been ignorant of how the magic worked, and rather than a convenient passage, they had doomed two worlds. The scar was great, it had spread to an expanse that shadowed both worlds. For millions of years, the two moons had been in harmony, thousands of miles apart, but in an instant, some fool had closed that distance to nothing. It had not been an easy task to keep them aloft. And she was tired.
With the fires burned to nothing, and the weather stagnant, she could finally close what this fool had wrought. After it was done, she went to Sybil’s moon to sift through the ashes. If she could have saved Sybil’s life, she would have, but she had been too late.
It took some time, but eventually she found the creature she had set to watch her daughter. The small frog sat on its stone. Sybil had taken to calling it a bulltoad, but it was not that. It wasn’t anything really. It didn’t live, it only watched. And when Min saw its eyes, and saw that they were still open, and traced its gaze to the planet of her birth, she found her hope again.
Sybil, her god of Life, still lived.
THE END
FROM THE AUTHOR
With my deepest sincerity, thank you for reading Death’s Merchant. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. This book is the culmination of about five years of work – but, before you worry, I like to believe I’m a quicker writer now; maybe not, but I’m a lot less busy so my goal is to publish at least one great big book a year.
Death’s Merchant started as a satire. I was hoping to make fun of the young farm boy with a destiny trope. Yet, by the end it had become something a whole lot different than a satire. And by the time it was published, twisting the farm boy trope had become its own cliché. It probably was even before I started. I hope you enjoyed my twist on the trope.
If you’d like to know more about the book or the series and its progress, you can find it on my blog at JustanHenner.com/blog/ or by joining my book club at JustanHenner.com/justans-book-club/ where I give more insight into the characters, tell you about new characters, and share snippets on the decisions I made and why. If you’re like most of my readers, and are asking yourself, “But what about Sybil?” the book club should be the perfect place for you. Members of the club also get a FREE BOOK COVER and have exclusive access to give away contests, and subscriber-only offers. Join the club today!
If you’re like the other half of my readers (my mother included) and are just pissed off that I killed Trin, I can be yelled at on Facebook at Facebook.com/JustanHenner or Twitter at Twitter.com/JustanHenner. I’d love to talk to you!
If you liked Death’s Merchant… or hated it, I’d love to hear why, so please leave a review at Amazon. Comments from people like you will help me give you more of what you loved in this book.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Acklin Conscripted soldier in the Trellish Legion. Former tallow merchant from the city of Lane.
Alchemist (The) See Sybil
Assassin (The) See Rift
Atep Rin God of Planning. Daughter of Walter. Younger sister of Kalec. Also known as Planner.
Bandill Rin The god of invention. Resides on the Horn. Nephew to Atep Rin. Also known as Tinker.
Beda Stills The commanding officer of the Dekahnian New Guard.
Bell Cobbren Legionnaire in the Trellish Legion. Friend of Trin Cavahl. Member of the High Cleric's Owl Guard.
Bern Soldier in the Trellish Legion. Member of Bell's squad.
Bertrand Cavahl Merchant and father of Trin Cavahl.
Butcher (The) See Walter Rin
Cantrel Lee A man condemned and executed by Just, thousands of years in the past.
Carla Wikahm A bard. Rise's former tutor.
Champion of the Faith See Lu
Clarissa The god of Fate. Also known as Fate and Fatereader.
Commander Dims Lockish Commander.
Commander Stills See Beda Stills
Consort (The) See Dydal
Consul Ven A consul of Lock.
Cyleste Kantren Commanding officer of the Trellish Legion.
Cyril Clerahl A Dekahnian mage.
Davahlia A captain in the New Guard.
Deacon of the North (The) See Indaht Trask
Deacon Trask See Indaht Trask
Death The former god of Death. A woman.
Dirn Bahnil Supply master of the Legion.
Drought A Vandu woman.
Dydal Father of Tyrena. Consort of the Whore. Former head of the Trellish Priesthood.
Eddings A Legionnaire and scout.
Elyse A young woman from the village of Vale. Former fiancee of Jem Trask.
Entaras Null Lockish mage. Keeper of the King's Library in Dekahn.
Envoy to the Heavens See Lu
Erin Dahl The king of Lock.
Esteemed High Cleric of the Holy City of Trel See Lu
Eve Rin A daughter of Walter. Atep and Kalec's sister.
Executioner (The) See Second Legionnaire
Famine A Vandu horsewarrior.
Farmer (The) See Nikom
Farrier (The) Jem's uncle. Deceased.
Fate See Clarissa
Fatereader (The) See Clarissa
Father Order See Nikom
Field A daughter of Nikom.
First Legionnaire (The) See Taehrn Andren
First Magistrate (The) See Marcus Godahn
First Priest (The) See Rift
Gable's Tyrant See Tyrant of Ternobahl
Galina God of mysticism and magic. Twin sister to Sybil. Also known as Mystic.
Gemm Apprentice to Sybil the Alchemist.
Gin A Legion tailor.
God of Gods See Minnerva
Grand (The) See Cyleste Kantren
Grand Legionnaire (The) See Cyleste Kantren
Hald Lanish innkeeper.
Halls Footman in the Trellish Legion. Born in Lock.
Harvest First born daughter of Nikom. God of exploration. Loy's older sister. Also known as Wanderer.
Heckler (The) Mysterious figure who accompanies Just.
Hegemon (The) See Winter Blake
Hen A New Guardsman.
Herald (The) See Third Legionnaire
Hero of the Gableman's Riots See Indaht Trask
High Cleric (The) - Current High Cleric See Lu
High Cleric (The) - First High Cleric See Dydal
High Cleric of Gable See Tyrant of Ternobahl
Hindahl Lim A Legion soldier from Derlin Keep. An associate of Wilt.
Hornsman Darl Hornsman of the Legion.
Indaht Trask Jem's Father. The Deacon of the North. Hero of the Gableman's Riots.
Iral A member of the New Guard.
Iraskle Former High Cleric of Trel.
Iri (Galina's Daugher) Apprentice to Just. Daughter of Rift and Galina.
Iri (Sybil's Daughter) Daughter of Sybil. Named after Galina's daughter.
Ivan Medahn Once the personal historian to the High Cleric Iraskle. Currently serves as steward of the Trellish Chapel and assistant to the current High Cleric.
Ivy Lissahn The Deaco
n of Derlin and the eastern province of Trellahn. Co-conspirator of Taehrn Andren, Indaht Trask, and Marcus Godahn.
Jem Trask Son of Indaht Trask. Raised at the Garrison of Liv, former resident of Vale.
Just God of justice and law. First born son of the Mother.
Justice See Just
Just's Shadow See Heckler
Kahla An associate of Beda Stills.
Kalec Rin First born son of Walter. Current god of Smiths. Referred to as the Young Smith.
Kenneth Soldier in the Trellish Legion. Member of Bell's squad.
Kindrel God of sailors and the sea. Granddaughter of Nikom.
King Erin See Erin Dahl
King of Lock See Erin Dahl
Lila Andren Sister of Trin Cavahl. Wife of Taehrn Andren.
Lilt Bakehmin Wilt's cousin. Son of Slug.
Lock First king and namesake of the nation of Lock.
Locust Bakehmin The name of Wilt's mother. It was adopted by Wilt's uncle, Snail, after he had Wilt's mother executed.
Lord Kelwyn A lord of Lock.
Loy A son of Nikom.
Lu Current High Cleric and ruler of Trellahn. Current head of the Trellish Priesthood.
Magistrate (The) See Marcus Godahn
Marcus Godahn Head of the Trellish Magistrate, the legal arm of the Trellish Priesthood. Also known as the Magistrate.
Marl Kantren Daughter of Cyleste Kantren. Herald to the Grand Legionnaire in the Trellish Legion. Also known as the Herald.
Martha A Legion whore. Sister of Legionnaire Eddings.
Mason (The) See Tyrena
Meyna A member of the New Guard.
Micks A New Guardsman.
Minnerva Leader of the pantheon, and mother of the gods. Also known as the Mother. Often referred to as the Whore.
Mother (The) See Minnerva
Mother of the Gods See Minnerva
Mr. Goodall The king of Lock's personal servant.
Mycah Atherahnian mage currently residing in Dekahn. Null's teacher.
Mystic See Galina
Natti Inundahn A cooper of Dekahn.
Navigator See Quill
Ness A Legion whore.
Nikom Former god of agriculture. Current god of order. Previously known as Farmer. Currently known as Order.
Null See Entaras Null
Old Nance Trin Cavahl's ox.
Order See Nikom
Perval Soldier in the Trellish Legion. Member of Bell's squad.
Pin A Legion scout.
Planner See Atep Rin
Priest Twil See Wilt Bakehmin
Putrescence A Lockish Guardsmen disguised as a Vandu woman.
Queen of Lock See Rin Tepa
Queen Tepa See Rin Tepa
Quill God of navigation. Husband to Kindrel.
Rain A son of Nikom. Older brother to Loy.
Rathervian Mycah's former mentor.
Rich Footman in the Trellish Legion.
Rickard Dahl Former king of Lock. Father of Erin Dahl. Deceased husband of Queen Tepa.
Rift God of Assassins. Husband to Galina. Born a mortal. Also known as Assassin.
Rin Tepa The queen of Lock. Mother of Erin, King of Lock.
Rise Soldier in the Trellish Legion. Wife to Skibs. Member of Bell's squad.
Ruler of Men See Lu
Rye A son of Nikom
Sailor (The) See Kindrel
Scryer Title given to Trellish priests who are regarded as fortunetellers.
Scryer Fate See Clarissa
Second Legionnaire (The) The Executioner of the Trellish Legion. Accountable to both the Grand Legionnaire and the Trellish Magistrate. The Executioner is responsible for enacting and enforcing Trellish laws. Also known as the Second.
Seer of Roles See Scryer Fate
Sella A Legion whore.
Shadow of Justice See Heckler
Silt Apprentice to Just. Lead a rebellion in an attempt to depose the First Generation and become the god of Justice. Previously known as Slayer.
Silt the Slayer See Silt
Skibs Legionnaire in the Trellish Legion. Member of Bell's squad. Member of the High Cleric's Owl Guard. Son of the current Deacon of Gable. Husband of Rise.
Slayer (Rumored to be Deceased) See Silt
Slayer (Tabetha) See Tabetha
Slug Bakehmin Wilt's uncle. Deceased brother of the current Consul and Wilt's mother.
Smith (The) See Walter Rin
Snail Bakehmin Wilt's uncle. Current Consul of the Vandu. See Locust
Sovereign of Just An anonymously held title of great importance within Just's Cult.
Spade Loy's twin sister. Daughter of Nikom.
Spymaster (The) See Tyvan Dahl
Steward Ivan See Ivan Medahn
Sybil God of science and alchemy. Twin sister to Galina. Also known as Alchemist.
Sylvas Durahl The mayor of New Luddahn.
Tabetha The god Slayer. Mother of Gemm. Daughter of Tyrena. Also known as Slayer.
Taehrn Andren First Legionnaire of the Trellish Legion. Former Fiance of Trin Cavahl. Currently married to Trin's sister, Lila. Also known as the First.
Tel Soldier in the Trellish Legion. Member of Bell's squad.
Third Legionnaire (The) Position held within the Trellish Legion, traditionally held by a child of the Grand Legionnaire. Also known as the Herald. See Marl Kantren
Thought The god of Thought.
Till A son of Nikom.
Tin (Galina's Daughter) Apprentice to Just. Daughter of Rift and Galina.
Tin (Sybil's Daughter) Daughter of Sybil. Named after Galina's daughter.
Tinker See Bandill Rin
Toddrin General of the Legion kite soldiers.
Trask See Indaht Trask
Trin Cavahl Traveling merchant from the Holy City of Trel.
Tybalt First born son of Galina. Died due to an experiment gone wrong. His death is the reason apprenticeship was adopted.
Tyr A resident of the University at Trel.
Tyrant (The) See Tyrant of Ternobahl
Tyrant of Ternobahl The self proclaimed High Cleric of the former Trellish vassal of Gable. Led a failed war of independence against the Trellish. Was killed by Indaht Trask.
Tyrena God of architecture. Also known as Mason. Youngest child of the Mother.
Tyvan Dahl Spymaster of the Lockish court. Cousin of King Erin Dahl.
Vermin Bakehmin Wilt's grandfather. The former Consul of the Vandu.
Vin Kingsley A Settish merchant and servant of Just.
Voice of the Gods See Lu
Walter Rin Former god of Smiths who went mad and sacked the city of Vigil, earning the title of Butcher.
Wanderer (The) See Harvest
Whore (The) See Minnerva
Whore's Priest See Lu
Wilt Bakehmin Former Trellish soldier stationed as a steward at Derlin Keep. Born of Vandu descent. Deserter from the Trellish Legion. Also known as rapist.
Winter Blake Commanding officer of the Lockish Old Guard. Also known as the Hegemon.
Wither A Vandu woman and follower of Priest Twil.
Young Smith (The) See Kalec Rin
Death's Merchant: Common Among Gods - Book One Page 124