How Gods Bleed

by Shane Porteous

  Chapter 7

  Not only was there no sign of the Yonga Ponday that night but it was in fact the best night of sleep the Helluvans had had since beginning this journey. The new tropical terrain offered more than just a change of scenery, it offered a wider array of dining opportunities. In the frozen lands that had been ravaged by winter the group had only seen a single bird which flew too high to be captured or killed. But in these lands there was plenty of wildlife, birds as varied as the colours of the rainbow could be seen in just about every tree top, decent sized lizards and colourful snakes were also on the menu. There was even some evidence of deer and other such creatures that though had yet to be seen would make a very tasty and rich meal. The soups and stews the Helluvans had been eating beforehand all smelled good and were probably acceptable in taste, but it was clear they all were looking forward to the variety the tropics had to offer. Nevertheless the Helluvans remained as they were expected to be, there was little chatter to be had, as there was a real possibility that there was more to the tropics than just birds and reptiles. As they were all aware of no human had been this far west in thousands of years and the accuracy of their maps always played out in their minds.

  Wars were a common thing in both the east and the west, the lands of the werewolves were so large that they never had peace for very long. Now with Gorgoza overthrown wars of succession would be fought all over the landscape and these tropics were an ideal place for deserters and other such desperate groups to wage a guerrilla war. Apart from the werewolves themselves and the occasional poison snake there was only one other major predator in the west the Helluvans knew of. The Moelekke Bear was a giant creature that when standing on its hind legs could grow to 14 feet tall, covered in a long fur that was not quite gray, not quite black but an unnamed colour in between. Famously the Moelekke bear was most well known for its pink coloured eyes that seemed to glow in both the light of the sun and the moon. Tooth for tooth, claw for claw and pound for pound a Moelekke bear would be able to hold its own against a werewolf. But it was a general belief that the Moelekke bear ultimately survived the transformation of the west because it lived in areas that the werewolves tended not to inhabit. It was known to prefer colder climates, not so much the frozen landscape that the Helluvans had been through but rather the mist filled highlands of the various mountain passes that covered the west. It would be quite a surprise to encounter a Moelekke bear in the tropics, which were known as very territorial beasts but then again the troop had no idea that they would come across possible evidence of the Yonga Ponday either.

  Over the course of the next three nights a fire was forged, more for its light than its heat for the tropics remained humid regardless of which ruler was in the sky. But soon the group came to realize that for all the things the tropics brought them not all was welcome, primarily the rain. Like a bored baby who had discovered how to turn on a tap the rain came randomly and when it did so it did not fall but pour. The rain was so heavy it was as if a mischievous young god had somehow brought an entire ocean into the sky and was now systemically pouring it back onto the world before the other gods could find out what it had done. The sky would give no warning either, remaining a constant cloudless dark blue. One moment the group would be moving through a stretch of land so dry it made a thousand year old bone seem moist and then the rain would fall forcing the group to act quickly and rush to higher ground before they were literally swept away. The rain became a dangerous annoyance and inconvenience, constantly forcing the group to move and change direction. Their path no longer was direct and even to someone as skilled as Imbaka it became confusing to deal with. More importantly progress was hindered greatly over the next few weeks with less and less ground covered upon each day that passed. One such day Imbaka estimated that after a whole day of tracking they had moved only two or so miles. Time was not on the group’s side and as the days passed the group made more and more rash decisions to compensate for this fact.

  On the afternoon of one such day whose morning had been covered in the now all too familiar rainfall the group came across a raging river that undoubtedly had been swollen by the falling rain. If time was not such a factor and if they had not already come across two dozen similar sites already the group would have turned back around. But progress was absolutely vital and they decided on a risky course of action. Upon the other side of the river was a steep rock face whose brown exterior had been shaped by millions of years of wet weather. It was over this rock face where the group decided to go. The first thing they had to take care of was the rearranging of their packs, things they could afford to get wet were placed at the bottom while things that had to remain dry were placed at the top. Their most valuable items, at least in the eyes of Helluvans, weapons were tied horizontally to the top of the packs across their shoulders. Weapons such as Hazum Ka-te’s Cloud Cutter spear would be very awkward to carry in such a way, with even more difficulty added by the raging waters of the river.

  Leannol would be the first to make the journey through the river, her pack had been lightened considerably and though Cada Varl offered to take the lion’s share, most of the contents of her pack were spread evenly amongst the other members of the group. Gokkus tied a very thick long rope made from some kind of solid white substance around her powerful shoulders and firm waist. The other end of the rope was tied to the thickest of the nearby trees. The other members of the group then gathered in a line with Gokkus at the back and Cada Varl before him as they each held onto the rope with both hands. Leannol carefully dropped into the river with the group ensuring that if it was too deep they would be able to tighten the rope to stop her from being swept away. The water came up to just over her breasts but she seemed to find firm enough footing. Raising her hands up at either side to ensure balance she took a single step and when she found a firm place she took another.

  She had more than just the violent rage of the water to contend with for she still wore her heavy metal armor, which strangely did not seem to hinder her much. Helluvans were indeed strong, perhaps the most physically powerful of all the humans of Noonsva, still it was impressive to see this woman keep upright regardless of how much the water seemed hell bent in sweeping her off of her feet. She had to move only 30 or so feet to reach the other side but it was a journey that no one could rush if they wanted to see it through. The group kept silent as she reached roughly the middle of the river and all but her head was underwater. Now she had to be even more careful in choosing her next step. The moments it took for a her to decide felt more like hours that were worth waiting for when she took another step and was only chest deep. Successfully she reached the other side, where after checking several places with her hands, found a firm boulder half swallowed by the river that she could comfortably and firmly hold onto. Hugging the rock as if it was something she loved she raised her left hand and moved it in a swatting motion. She remained silent partly because of the strength that was needed to hold onto the rock, partly because the running river was so loud it would be difficult to hear any words she said. The river did indeed seem to be growing louder with each passing second almost as if it was furious at Leannol for successfully defying its power. The others had made sure to give her slack on the rope when she needed it, they had worked together just like the gears that had opened the gate on the border.

  Now it was time for the rest of the group to make the crossing and the first to go was Tanagy. Keeping one arm around the rope as he used the other to pull himself along he seemed to be struggle slightly more than Leannol against the raging river. Perhaps this was because of the additional weight he was carrying though the rope itself should have compensated for that, or maybe he simply was not as strong as Leannol. In any case he was able to reach the other side without falling and when he did so he kept one hand around the rope and the other upon the shoulder of his red haired companion. This was done to let Leannol, who kept her face lowered upon the rock in a bid to keep water from invading her mouth and eyes, know that
he was behind her. He looked up and studied the rock face soon finding what he was looking for. He stepped slightly closely to Leannol so that their bodies were now touching before he lifted his hand up and placed it inside a crevasse in the rock face. Then using the back and shoulder of Leannol as a kind of step he pulled himself upwards, incredibly Leannol managed to raise her shoulders slightly to ascend the Abider a little further upwards. He soon found firm places to keep his hands and feet as he began his search once again for new places. As Tanagy slowly ascended the 60 or so foot tall rock face Imbaka was the next to make the crossing.

  As Tanagy had done when she reached the other side she placed her hand upon the shoulder of Leannol and used the red haired woman as a step to begin her climb. One by one the others followed with Zova after Imbaka and Hazum Ka-te after her. Movement of any kind whether through the river and upon the rock face was slow moving. Unsurprisingly Tanagy was the furthest up the wall seemingly trying to ascend it as quickly and safely as possible. This was so when Tanagy reached the top he could help the others complete the ascent.

  Roughly two thirds through Cada Varl’s crossing the slippery wet of the rock face took effect and Zova’s hand slipped from its place. As her body dropped Hazum Ka-te acted quickly lifting his shoulder and pressing it upon the bottom of her right foot, ensuring that she did not lose her place even further. Zova who showed little sign of distress at almost falling looked down upon the wielder of the Cloud Cutter giving him a simple yet respectful nod, which he in turn reciprocated. Zova pointed to the gap in the wall which had been responsible for her almost fall, ensuring that Hazum Ka-te knew of its presence.

  Cada Varl who was taller than most in the group made the crossing without incident following quite literally in the steps of his predecessors, lifting himself onto the rock face with the help of Leannol’s shoulder and back. This left only Gokkus to cross who did so without hesitation.

  When it seemed that this part of the trek over the rock face would be accomplished without incident Gokkus suddenly slipped under the water, his grip loosened upon the rope just enough for the water to sweep him away. Panic instantly conquered the air as the man dressed in black was nowhere to be seen. Those already on the wall watched on helpless to do anything as they waited for him to reappear.

  Leannol must have felt the change in the rope for she looked over her shoulder and knew immediately what had happened. Keeping her arms around the rock she saw a flash of black within the water and instantly thrust herself away from the rock disappearing from sight as well. Now those upon the rock face had only the changing slack of the rope to indicate to them roughly where Leannol was. With wide eyes and held breaths the group waited anxiously for any sign of the red haired woman or the man dressed in black. They could see that the rope had been pulled as far as possible and was now under so much pressure it seemed that in any moment the rope would either break or pull the tree out of the ground.

  Then when the darkest of possibilities entered the collective mind of the group both Leannol and Gokkus appeared 35 or so feet down the river. Almost simultaneously they both rose out of the water, holding each other by the forearm. Leannol using her powerful grip and arm pulled Gokkus towards her and soon the two had their arms wrapped around one another. Both were breathing heavily for they had been submerged for quite some time. While still holding onto one another they slowly shuffled back towards the other side of the river and back onto firm ground. It had been a close call but both did not appear seriously wounded. With drenched faces and heavy breaths the two moved back towards the tree where the rope had been tied. Leannol looked up to the rock face where the group had not moved since she had dived under the water. She motioned her hand and said, “Keep going,” between heavy breaths. As instructed those upon the rock face continued their ascent. Both Leannol and Gokkus took a moment to catch their breath with the man dressed in black thanking Leannol for what she had done for him.

  As they made the crossing for a second time it was clear the raging water was beginning to drain Leannol of her strength, but not by much. They stuck close together and made it to the other side thankfully without further problem. Gokkus stepped onto Leannol’s shoulder and she showed great endurance by easily pushing the large man upwards. Now with all of them across it was Leannol’s turn to climb the wall. Gokkus extended his right hand towards her, which she grasped as he helped her upon the wall. Now side by side with one another Gokkus guided her hand to the crevasse which his hand been in, they gave each other a nod of approval before Gokkus grasped upon the rope which was still tied to Leannol. The man dressed in black then began flicking the rope forcing it to move almost like a subdued whip. He did this several times, every now and again turning his hand ever so slightly until eventually the rope became untied from the tree. With as much skill as quickness he pulled the rope across the water where using only one hand wrapped it around the waist and shoulder of Leannol in such a way it would not hinder her movement. With that done Gokkus placed his hand back on the wall and allowed Leannol to use his bent knee as a step to pull herself further up the rock face. Gokkus placed his hand on the back of her thigh to help such a maneuver and when she found a firm place Gokkus began his ascent.

  Tanagy was now only ten feet or so from the summit but he did not allow this to hurry his movements. His head was lowered as he looked for an ideal place to put his right foot when he could feel something drop between his eyes. Instantly he glanced up so quickly it was amazing his neck did not snap. It had only been a single drop of water but when an identical one fell upon him he knew what it was. Looking down over his shoulder he yelled, “Rain!” Now every neck moved in a snapping motion as they looked upwards to see the sky open up and a new rain falling. It seemed the fury of the river had now reached breaking point, now it was calling upon the sky to punish the group for daring to defy its wrath.

  The rain fell so heavily that it literally silenced all other sounds, even the raging of the river. They had seen such rain before and they knew just how quickly it could fall. Not even taking a moment to look down upon the river, which in moments would begin to rise, the group quickened their movements upwards. The rain made the rock face even more slippery but time had now joined the sky and the river in wanting to end the journey of the group. Tanagy was the first to reach the summit, almost slipping back down as he struggled to find something to hold onto as he pulled himself up. When he found his footing he himself became an extension grasping Imbaka by the hand and pulling her up to meet him. Though it seemed only a matter of moments when Zova was near the top the river was already swelling greatly. Imbaka and Tanagy grasped Zova by the shoulders and pulled her up quickly, ensuring they were ready to receive Hazum Ka-te when he reached the top not long after. Cada Varl was next, followed by Leannol who managed to climb the wall rather quite quickly considering just how tired she must have been. By now the river had risen to touch the souls of Gokkus’ feet, this cold and wet reminder of what he had already been through seemed to spur him on and incredibly he was able to move quicker than the water could catch him. Eagerly Imbaka and Tanagy pulled him up, grateful that they had not lost him for a second time.

  It seemed unlikely that the river would swell to the point of the summit, yet the rained continued to fall and showed no sign of stopping. Regardless they had each made it, yet there was no celebration to be had for there was no reason for such a thing. Through the almost wall of rain they could see well enough to know what lay before them. Effectively it was a dead end or rather a dead end in every direction they wanted to go. The rock face ended after about twenty feet before them and offered no way forward. In a consuming silence they stood, each knowing that the only way available to them would effectively take them back in the opposite direction they had been moving in all day. Now not only were they not making any ground but also they were in fact moving around in some kind of morbid circle.

  Eventually the rain did break but it brought little comfort to them. Upon high ground
they found a reasonable spot to make camp with several trees with leaves large enough to offer some kind of protection if the rain decided to fall once again. It may not have been dusk quite yet but the group knew they would make no headway by continuing onwards. A fire was made with great difficulty for the ground remained wet, as did almost everything else. The group dried themselves off as best they could and soon the evening meal was being made. They were forced to eat some kind of stew for the day had offered no time for hunting.

  But there was now a far larger problem than eating a familiar stew. The group had to face facts, the tropics and its rainfall had made progress almost impossible. It had literally gotten to the point that if the group had moved a mile than it was a good days trek. Keeping at such a pace it could take months or possibly even years to make it through. This route had been chosen specifically because it was a place where werewolves did not normally venture. But the group had come across something more powerful than all the men and monsters of Noonsva combined, Mother Nature. It was clear now why the werewolves did not live in this place, the terrain was simply too inhospitable for continuous habitation.

  After the evening meal was eaten somberly, a silence much heavier than the usual breed fell across the camp. The ground remained wet and non-welcoming and though Helluvans were not a vain people it merely added to the darkness of their predicament.

  “We have to go further inland,” Imbaka said after a reign of silence so long it seemed to make time irrelevant. Her words were as heavy as they were true, it was a course they would have to take. Moving further inland meant moving into areas were large werewolf populations were known. But they simply did not have any choice, out here Mother Nature could kill them just as easily as any werewolf, if not easier. The group had proven themselves great warriors easily capable of defeating a rag tag group of 30 or so of the monsters. But they were nothing compared to the elite warrior troops that thrived further inland. Not to mention the fact werewolf armies were known well for their sheer size. In the west if you had an army of 100,000 at your command than it was generally considered to be a small force. Armies of one million were not uncommon; at least that it is what the information the Helluvans had gathered over the years told. The other Helluvans nodded their heads but could not bring themselves to say it outloud. The entire course of their journey was now going to change; they had planned all along to fight as little as possible. Not because they were scared but rather it was such a high risk considering the very reason why they were taking this journey.

  As the night grew old all but Imbaka and Cada Varl fell asleep, creating a rectangle of embers to keep them dry rather than warm. Imbaka remained awake for she was studying the maps of the west looking for the best course to take in such a bad situation. The sky fortunately gave her a break, remaining clear enough to see the many stars with which she could navigate by. She had taken a stick from the fire and used its light to study the maps as the darkness of the night surrounded the camp. In place of standing guard Cada Varl sat beside her, keeping her silent company while looking out into the darkness. Cada Varl felt perhaps Imbaka was ashamed that they had to change course. Because although she really did not have any way of knowing how heavy the rain was going to fall she prided herself so greatly on her logistical knowledge. Though she showed no sign that this was what she felt the Immortal felt compelled to speak about it.

  “ Have you found a new direction?” It was the Immortal’s way of trying to make her see that she was the reason why this problem was going to be solved. Whether Cada Varl succeeded or not couldn’t be told for Imbaka answered in her regular tone of voice, “I believe so.” It was clear her attention was with the maps and silence fell once more as she occasionally would look up at the stars to see which ones specifically could aid her. After a time some would consider long Imbaka looked up from the map in her lap and towards the Immortal who sat staring into the darkness searching for any sign of potential enemies.

  “Cada Varl,” she said softly, taking into consideration others were sleeping.

  “Yes Imbaka?” Cada Varl asked as he looked back to her.

  “May I ask you a question,” she said softly.

  Upon hearing these words the Immortal’s mind flashed back to the night he had been alone with Zova and the strange way she was interested in him. He wondered if Imbaka would show a similar interest.

  “Yes?” The Immortal said realizing he had allowed the question to hang in silence for too long.

  “ When you drink the blood of the goddess, you yourself will be destroyed?” Imbaka asked softly yet firmly as if to show she knew the seriousness of her question. Cada Varl hesitated slightly, not expecting the question, he needed a moment to regain himself.

  “Yes I will,” he answered.

  “A prospect an immortal must find difficult to grasp, death is for mortals.” Her words may have sounded slightly cryptic but Cada Varl knew what she meant and was implying. He felt no aggression towards her for it was a fair line of thought. The future of not just Helluv or the east but the entire continent ultimately rested in his hands. She could not be blamed for having her doubts that an immortal could cope with the prospect of an ending.

  Cada Varl forced his eyes to remain upon hers as the darkest breed of thoughts played out like nightmares in his mind. He said, “Do you know of all those tales about kings and emperors trying to find immortality so that they can rule forever?”

  Imbaka nodded, it would be more difficult to find someone who hadn’t heard such a tale compared to someone who had. “ They could not be blamed for wanting such a thing, they dedicate their entire lives to rule, whether through sword or inheritance they live lives of great wealth, indulgence and power. They have known the best in life so why would they ever want such an existence to come to an end. But do you think a cripple would want the same thing? To live forever with the pain and the suffering that only a cripple would know?”

  Cada Varl held his words and knew Imbaka understood them though she said nothing in response. “It is not death that awaits me, but destruction, I truly died the day I lost my humanity. All I have is memories, that is all and while some memories can be enjoyed and others suffered, they all serve as a reminder of things I will never feel again. With each day that passes those memories fade a little. I have already forgotten so much and will continue to forget until there is nothing left but a shell.”

  Imbaka studied his red eyes searching for something that only she knew.

  “What have you forgotten?” she asked.

  It seemed this question was more out of curiosity than anything else was. Cada Varl now had to look away; he could not bear such thoughts without effect. He looked back to Imbaka as he said “So many things…when I first came to Uldaween four thousand years ago I shared a bottle of Teius with one of the scholars, Teius was a kind of wine that was considered a delicacy in my homeland. I had drank it before several times and enjoyed it immensely, when I drank the bottle with the scholar the memory of what it tasted like was so fresh that I felt almost as if I could actually taste it again.” Cada Varl shook his head and glanced away for a moment before looking back. “Sadly I cannot remember the name of that scholar. When I was about to depart from Uldaween another Scholar by the name of Qeupit found the very bottle of Teius that I had drank from 4,000 years ago with the other scholar. As we shared the Teius Qeupit kept saying how rich it tasted after being aged for four thousand years, but my memory had become so faded of what it tasted like that I could taste nothing as I drank it. I could feel it in my mouth and in my throat, but nothing else, no sweetness, bitterness or any other taste in between.”

  The two studied each other’s eyes but for a time neither said anything as both tried to figure out what the other was thinking.

  “Of the few memories that have not began to fade none of them are things I want to remember.” “Like what?” Imbaka asked seemingly now greatly curious in a cautious way.

  Cada Varl looked away fr
om her and could not bring himself to look back as he said cheerlessly, “The burning of my kingdom, the destruction of the lands I had spent my entire life fighting for and the fact that I am responsible for all of it. Noonsva is what it is because of me.” Cada Varl looked back to Imbaka as he said, “A burden that I no longer want to bear and one that can only be treated by the blood of the goddess.”

  Imbaka stayed quiet as she continued to search his eyes, his words had only magnified the strange attraction his inhuman eyes had. It was not a sexual attraction, but something far more rare. Within his eyes Imbaka could see truth and she knew that he was ready for all of this to come to an end.

  “Would you like to become immortal?” Cada asked quietly and yet suddenly.

  The question was not expected made evident by Imbaka’s long silence, she could not tell the true reason behind such a question but before she could speak Cada Varl spoke.

  “To fight forever?” he glanced over to those that slept as he said, “I imagine Sin Smile, Tanagy and Hazum Ka-te would consider such an existence worth living?”

  Imbaka smiled humorlessly realizing now Cada Varl’s question was little more than curiosity. She said, “I cannot speak for my fellow Helluvans, but fighting for the sake of fighting is not something I have ever craved, even the beast-men are above such a pointless thing.”

  Now it was Imbaka who looked at the dying fire for a brief moment before she said. “ I am proud when I kill a werewolf or another enemy of Helluv, it would be a fair thing to say that I enjoy such acts, but not because of the acts themselves, but rather what they will prevent. One less enemy that can hurt Helluv, I fight because I want to keep my fellow daughters and sons of Helluv safe and I will gladly stand against anyone or anything that wishes to do my countrymen or my country harm. But the idea of doing so forever, killing werewolves and other enemies is not a thought I cherish. Because that would mean if I fought forever than Helluv would never be safe, which in turn would make the very reason why I fight redundant.”

  Cada Varl nodded his head, clearly impressed he said, “Well said.”

  “Thank you,” Imbaka replied with a bow of her head.

  With those words she folded the maps back up and placed them back into her pack. She stood up and with a strong breath from healthy lungs blew out the flames of the small stick she held. She made her way over to the rectangle of embers where a spot was already waiting for her.

  “Good night Cada Varl,” she said.

  The Immortal repliedm, “Good night Imbaka.”