Foundry of the Gods (Corrosive Knights Book 6)

by E. R. Torre

  FOUNDRY OF

  THE GODS

  By

  E. R. Torre

  The novel contained within this volume is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, events, or locals is entirely coincidental.

  Foundry of the Gods, Corrosive Knights, and all characters within this novel were created and are Copyright © 2016 E. R. Torre

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover and Interior Artwork by E. R. Torre

  Please visit my website:

  www.ertorre.com

  Comments or questions? Email me at:

  atrocket@aol.com

  ISBN: 0-9729115-9-6

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9729115-9-7

  PROLOGUE

  THE DISTANT PAST…

  They originally numbered thirty but were down to sixteen.

  Six women, five men, three children, and two infants.

  They wandered the forest guided by the stars and moon at night and the rising and setting sun during the day. Their bodies were covered with damp fur pelts which smelled of sweat and rot. It barely protected them from the cold but it was all they had. Their home used to be a warm cave on a mountainside but a group of hunters discovered it and attacked. The battle was bloody and many were lost.

  Those that survived abandoned their safe home even as the early winter winds blew. With neither home nor shelter, the survivors hoped to find a new safe haven south and where the weather might be warmer.

  Their feet were calloused and cut. Dried blood and scaring told the tale of the difficult journey. While the adults shivered, the two infants were kept tightly wrapped, their mouths close to their mother’s teats lest they cry and expose the remains of the tribe. Those that did not tend to the infants carried heavy stones or spears with dull rock blades mounted on their tips.

  One of their women carried a pouch containing a mix of fruits and nuts. This was the dwindling food scavenged along the way. A second pelt dripped water and when wringed provided refreshment. Whenever they found a puddle, the pelt was soaked in it. As bad as it smelled and even if the water at times made them sick, they had little choice but to keep using it.

  They moved quickly yet cautiously. The sun rose and set ten times since they last faced those who ran them from their home. Though their attackers were long gone, other predators, human and animal, threatened them during their journey and survival was not assured.

  In the distance they heard the sounds of animals and recognized the growls of predators.

  It was during these times they leaned against mighty trees to both hide and rest.

  The tribe leader, like the others, spoke a simple language of grunts, nods, and hand gestures. He was the eldest of the group and walked with a limp, the result of a hunting accident which occurred before the first frost.

  He was caring and kind and the others looked up to him. He worried for his people and wondered if, in the end, he could save them.

  One bright, moon lit night, the tribe leader guarded the others while they slept. It was difficult for him to stay awake and he fought hard against the pull of sleep. For a moment his eyes closed and he drifted off. His sleep was short lived. A sound from the distance caused him to open his eyes.

  He could not tell if he was awake or dreaming but the sound came again and he searched for its source.

  While fighting off exhaustion, he silently left the tribe and made his way deeper into the forest.

  His trek was short. Some hundred feet from his tribe’s makeshift camp he found a small clearing. In it sat a trio of strangers.

  They were human like him but even in the darkness the tribe leader could tell they were very different.

  Two were men and the third a woman. Despite the bitter cold they wore no pelts and were completely naked. The frigid weather appeared not to affect them at all. Their flesh was a strange, silvery color which reflected against the Moon’s light. They were remarkably clean, their bodies free of dirt. None of them had body hair nor carried weapons or food pouches.

  Beside them were cloth pelts and spears and something else. It looked like animal skins and was folded over. The tribe leader stared hard at the skin and, after a moment, let out a gasp.

  It wasn’t animal skin.

  It was human!

  The tribe leader held his breath and watched for several seconds, equally fascinated and terrified by these strange beings.

  He recalled tales passed down of forest spirits and wondered if he had stumbled upon such creatures. In these stories, the forest spirits were always harbingers of doom and the human flesh folded at their side proved this to be true.

  The tribe leader had to run away but he found himself too scared to do so.

  The trio, too, kept still. They did not move. At all. The tribe leader noticed another thing: They also did not appear to breath.

  Several minutes passed in total silence. That silence was disturbed by the distant howl of a wolf.

  Its howl caused the female member of the trio to move. She did so slowly, with great grace. She looked in the direction of the howl and then, abruptly, her hairless head quickly turned.

  For a horrifying moment the stranger’s eyes locked with those of the tribe leader. He was surprised by their sparkling blue clarity.

  The tribe leader fell back and stumbled through the brush. He ran as quickly as he could back to his people.

  When he reached camp he woke everyone and forced them to march.

  With scared grunts, he told the others of what he saw.

  The tribe moved quickly, hoping their inadvertent trespass would be forgiven if not forgotten.

  The last thing they needed was to draw the ire of forest spirits.

  They journeyed through that night and into the next day before exhaustion forced them to rest. That night they huddled close together and slept. Even the tribe leader could no longer fight his own exhaustion.

  Though none of the tribe knew it, that night the three mysterious strangers watched them.

  The trio made an inventory of the tribe’s possessions and paid particular attention to how they looked. Once done, they melted into the darkness.

  In the morning, one of the tribe’s bravest hunters awoke to find something had bitten his leg and he could not walk. With great sadness, the tribe left him behind. The next night, they heard his distant screams and the growls of the wild animals that overtook him.

  Their journey grew more desperate as their supply of food ran out and their water pelt dried.

  Each day was colder than the last and as much as they longed to rest they continued moving.

  Their leader grunted and pushed those who slowed. The forest had to end, this much he knew, and once it did they would complete their journey and reach the plains. It was only then they would finally be safe.

  The tribe leader looked over his shoulder and at the forest they just passed.

  They would be safe provided the forest spirits allowed them passage out.

  Yet more days passed.

  Two tribe members showed signs of illness and couldn’t stop coughing. The weather grew even worse and the first flakes of snow fell around them.

  Eight days after first seeing the forest spirits, the tribe leader allowed his group a long rest. As much as he tried to show strength, he was just as tired as the others and the pain in his leg had grown worse.

  While resting, he looked over the area and something caught the corner of his eye.

  It was a shadowy form. Not just one.

  Three.

  It was the forest spirits, of this he was certa
in. He reached for his spear and again looked in their direction.

  By then, they were gone.

  The tribe leader let out a low growl.

  They were following.

  Since first seeing the tribe leader days before, the three strangers followed the group’s progress from a distance.

  Where before they were naked, the folded human flesh now covered their bodies. Pelts similar to the ones the tribe members wore draped the rest of their frames. These pelts were artificial creations which had not come from any animal. The three neither needed to hunt or feed though if they chose to, they could hunt with an efficiency far greater than any of this planet’s humanoids.

  At night the trio watched the tribe and mimicked their movements and gestures. They kept an inventory of grunts and cries and developed an understanding of these beings’ communication.

  They followed.

  The tribe leader bent down before a fallen tree and at the edge of the group’s sight.

  Today, unlike the days before, was unusually warm and, he hoped, it meant they were near their destination. He removed one of the pelts covering his chest and in the process exposed his scarred upper body.

  The tribe leader spotted his young son among his women.

  He was determined to get the boy to safety so that in time he would lead the tribe just as his father had done before him.

  The tribe leader raised his right arm and his group slowed before stopping. An infant cried and the woman holding her pressed her teat into the child’s mouth. It muffled her cries just enough.

  After several tense seconds, the tribe leader stood up. He winced at the effort and faced his people.

  There was a smile on his face.

  Upon seeing it, the others jabbered excitedly. They hurried to their leader’s side to see what caused him such joy.

  In the distance and just beyond the trees was a grassy plain.

  Their destination.

  They survived the trip.

  They found their new home.

  The tribe left the forest and entered the plain.

  They found a flat patch of soil by a stream where they could fashion their new home. Tribe members briefly returned to the forest to search for rocks and sticks with which to build their shelter. Once built, the hunters in the group went in search of food.

  The tribe leader watched his peoples’ activity with pride. For the moment they were safe.

  Despite this, he couldn’t help but look back at the forest.

  He saw shadows beyond the tree line and, after a while, spotted movement.

  He reached for his spear and held it before him.

  The forest spirits were there.

  They watched his group and, he was certain, were angry they had somehow managed to elude them.

  The tribe leader pushed his chest out in defiance.

  They braved the cold and fought death dozens of times to get here, to their new home.

  Most incredibly, they ran the forest spirits’ gauntlet and escaped them.

  Or so he hoped.

  The trio watched the tribe set up their new home.

  Their eyes were hidden in the shadows and their bodies frozen as if statues. For days they stood there, completely immobile.

  They watched.

  They learned.

  They waited.

  Though they traveled far south, the winter months proved harsh for the tribe.

  A female infant died after contracting a disease while their leader’s strength diminished. Hard as he tried to fight the bite of age and force himself to help the other hunters, it was clear he hindered their efforts.

  He could no longer throw his spear or herd prey and was forced to stay with the women and infants under the guise of protecting their home.

  The tribe leader’s shame was great but even he knew the demands of the hunt were beyond his body’s capabilities.

  Now he sat outside the tribe’s shack and watched the winds move the grassy plains. He also watched the dark forest from where they emerged so many moons before.

  He sensed the forest spirits and imagined one day he would make a final trek to them. He would confront them and come face to face with the Gods.

  Years passed.

  The tribe leader’s woman was again with child and other wanderers found their way into the fold. The tribe grew.

  As the tribe leader’s limbs became brittle it was harder for him to move. He was leader in name only and his eldest son took over most of his duties.

  The plain people showed their tribe how to plant and tend crops. The tribe leader found pleasure in gardening and even more pleasure in helping create this new source of food.

  It was clear to the tribe leader his days were coming to their end. Whenever he thought of this, he looked toward the forest and the spirits hiding within.

  He wondered how many more days would pass before he’d make that final trek and confront them.

  Little did he know they were about to come to him.

  One bright, cloudless day, two men and a woman emerged from the forest and walked onto the plain.

  They were dressed in the same artificial pelts created years before and, though they looked like tribesmen, they walked upright.

  For the tribe and their now very elderly leader, their arrival came at the worst possible time. Their hunting party was out and the only ones in camp were the women and children. The tribe leader was the first line of defense against these strangers but was a ghost of the man he used to be.

  He watched with growing terror as they neared.

  Though barely able to move and tended to by his people more than he tended to them, the tribe leader reached for his ancient spear. Its wood staff was darkened by the blood of countless killings, both animal and human, and its shaft was dull and well worn.

  The tribe leader knew he could not fight these strangers, even if they should prove not to be the spirits he suspected. His hope was to scare them away.

  He let out a roar but it was weak and pitiful and did not slow the trio.

  A woman at the tribe leader’s side helped him to his feet and pushed him forward. She did this with such force the tribe leader almost fell over.

  He scolded the woman and told her to take the others and hide. He then moved on unsteady feet and used his once fearsome weapon to help him walk.

  At the edge of camp the tribe leader stopped.

  He kept his body as erect as possible and pushed his chest out. His graying hair and twisted posture put a lie to his show of strength yet he hoped the strangers would think him more of a fighter than he was.

  He waved his spear and again yelled.

  Still they came.

  The strangers were young and muscular. The spears they carried were remarkably straight and their ends sharper than anything the tribe leader had ever seen before. Their pelts were just as clean as their bodies. Even their hair looked immaculate.

  They walked through the grassy field and neared the camp’s outer edges.

  The women the tribe leader was charged with protecting wailed. They tried desperately to call out to the hunting party but the tribe leader knew their wails were in vain.

  Even if the party heard them, they were too far away to offer help in time.

  The strangers were twenty feet from the tribe leader when they stopped.

  The elderly man stared at them and they at him.

  The strangers made no aggressive moves. They kept still.

  One of the three strangers, the woman with remarkably blue eyes, handed her spear to one of her male companions.

  Unarmed, she walked up to the tribe leader.

  The elder man growled as she approached. When she was only feet away from him she extended her arms, palms up, and stood still for several long seconds.

  The tribe leader thrust his spear forward. Aggressive as his actions were, the female stranger didn’t flinch.

  The tribe leader’s fear slowly dimmed. The strangers hadn’t made any threatening moves
nor attacked even though they could have.

  The tribe leader lowered his spear ever so slightly.

  Having done so, the female stranger with the brilliant blue eyes lowered her arms. With her right hand she reached for a dark fur pouch tied to her waist. Her hand disappeared into the pouch and, when it emerged, it held a thick piece of dried meat.

  The female tore a piece of that meat and opened her mouth, revealing perfectly straight and very white teeth. The tribe leader was impressed by this. Only the very young had such teeth. The female took a bite of the meat and ate it. She then pulled the pouch off her side and carefully tossed it at the elderly man’s feet.

  Her action caused the tribe leader to raise his spear. He growled.

  The female stranger stayed perfectly still.

  The tribe leader’s eyes moved from her to the pouch.

  It was large and heavy and smelled of succulent meats.

  It carried a feast and this stranger and her two companions, whether forest spirits or not, were willing to share.

  The tribe leader again eyed the woman before him. The stranger’s brilliant blue eyes stared back and showed not a trace of malice.

  The tribe leader made a decision. He reached down and grabbed the pouch.

  He was surprised by how heavy it was. He opened it and was even more surprised by the amount of food gifted to him.

  The tribe leader pulled out another, smaller piece of meat. He sniffed before taking a bite.

  It was heavenly.

  Behind him, the women chirped. They too were hungry and wanted what was in the pouch.

  The warrior leader chided them for their impatience. They ignored him and kept chirping.

  The tribe leader sighed. He motioned one to his side. The woman came and he gave her the pouch. She pulled out a piece of meat and gave her sisters and their children portions of the food. They happily chanted as they fed.