Do the Gods Give Us Hope?

by Jeff Henrikson

  The Guildmaster turned to Arun. “Gram has been invaluable to me for more than two centuries. If he says he is not ready, then I am inclined to trust his judgment.”

  Arun threw back her chair and jolted to her feet. “You will order Gram to cast the spell now, or we will withdraw our support. We will not come to the surface to continue the fight against Armena when Kentar arrives. Furthermore, and I promise you this, if you don’t help us now, then our alliance is finished. You will have to defend your own borders, which we both know you can’t do.”

  The Guildmaster lurched to his feet and delivered a crushing backhand to Arun’s cheek. Arun fell to the ground under the force of the blow and looked up at the Guildmaster with amazement. Having lived in the Underworld her entire life, Arun was used to physical punishment, but not at the hands of a male. Women ruled in the Underworld with an iron fist, and any male who struck a Mistress would be put to death immediately. In one sense, Gram reveled in the conflict, but he also felt pangs of anger toward the Guildmaster as he saw Arun thrown to the floor.

  “You think you can threaten me, you Krone bitch! I’ve been commanding men since before your mother was born. Remember who you are talking to. My Guild killed the King of Armena! I orchestrated the war between Armena and Kentar, and it is my forces that will decimate the Philosophers! You shouldn’t act so boldly, especially considering you’ve been Matron Mother for all but a moon’s turn.”

  Arun stormed to her feet but did not attack. “You have said your piece and you have shown your power, but my demand still stands. You will cast the Cataclysm spell now or I will withdraw my support. What do you say?”

  The Guildmaster stood there not moving for a short time. It was probably difficult for an outsider like Arun to see, but Gram could tell the Guildmaster was absolutely livid and close to losing control and taking murderous action. The Guildmaster relaxed after a time and assumed a posture of ease and relaxation. He nonchalantly retook his seat and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

  “Mistress Arun. You are right. We should come to the aid of our closest allies. Even if the timing of the spell is not perfect, the destruction of Armena seems virtually certain.” The Guildmaster looked at Gram. “Gram, if I order you to cast your spell in five days, is that enough time?”

  Gram was furious. Years of his hard work was being dismantled in this one conversation, but there was still one possible way out. “Probably not, but I was able to transfer all of the prisoners, including the First Heir, from the Old Shetley Fortress into the Underworld before it was destroyed. I also have the other magic-users collected at the site here in Locus. If I focus my efforts here, and if Mistress Arun were willing to sacrifice several of her strongest male clerics and wizards, then there is a reasonable chance of success.”

  “What do you say, Mistress? Are you willing to sacrifice some of your own magic-users in order to cast the spell in five days’ time?”

  “I suppose if we transfer the Krone prisoners we have captured from other cities, along with the few surface clerics we have captured, and raid the nearby dwarf and gnome villages for magic-users, we may be able to help.”

  Gram’s stomach fell through the floor as the Guildmaster turned to him and said, “Gram, we will make every effort to capture as many magic-users as we can in the next few days, but I want you to cast the Cataclysm spell before the sun goes down five days from now. Is that understood?”

  “I think this is a mistake, but I will do as you ask.”

  The Guildmaster gestured openly to both of them and said, “In five days, all our prayers will be answered.”

  Chapter 84: What’s Left of Wessex?

  As Mestel and his four companions approached the docks of Wessex on the large wooden raft, it became immediately obvious that things were bad. Even though the sun was high in the sky and the town should have been bustling with activity, no one greeted them at the docks. The only sound they heard was the rhythmic lapping of the river water against the sturdy posts of the dock. Austen’s tower was obliterated. In the place where his four-story stone and wood tower had stood only a few days earlier, there was now a blue portal reaching into the sky as far as Mestel could see. The portal was quite a bit smaller than the one that destroyed the Old Shetley Fortress, but it was enough to consume the once-proud wizard’s tower.

  Mestel had been steering the raft down the river with his brother, but when he saw the destruction he just stopped what he was doing and looked on with shame. What had he and his brother done? Had they saved the town of Wessex from a family of hill giants only to have it destroyed after the fact? Like it or not, they were largely responsible for the two portals opening – along with the dragon who had tricked Valihorn into taking the ring off the corpse of a Krone witch as payment for one of his debts.

  Mestel and Evisar steadily pushed their makeshift oars into the river mud, maneuvering the raft toward the shore. As they came within reach of the dock, Xander and Nero tied both ends of a log to two of the larger dock posts. Once the raft was secure, the companions turned their attention back to Wessex. No one came to investigate as they approached, and no was visible as the companions walked to the end of the dock and stepped onto main street. The main street of Wessex ran straight away from the dock, perpendicular to the river. The second largest street in Wessex ran parallel to the river and intersected the main road at the docks in a large ‘T.’ Houses, along with other narrower streets, dotted the landscape for several hundred feet in all directions. The four corners of the ‘T’ intersection were occupied by what was left of Austen’s tower, Lazarus’s church to Sentinel, the mayor’s house which served as a town hall, and the largest inn. Farther down main street, Mestel could easily make out the general store, the smithy, a fletcher’s shop, and many other places of business.

  Mestel reflected on how much things had changed in just a few days. This was where he and his brother had achieved their first great victory. This was where they had conquered their fears and bound the town of Wessex together against a single foe. Mestel could still see the portion of the town wall they had repaired off in the distance. Next to the wall was the gigantic mound of dirt he and Ellen had dug together. His thoughts unconsciously turned to the human woman he had come to love. He had literally saved her from the fire, she had saved him from his own failings as a leader, and they had saved each other in many ways during the battle for Wessex and afterward.

  It was wrong that he should feel so strongly for a human female. He knew this to be true, but he couldn’t deny it. Nor could he act on those feelings as he wished. He was Martel’s chosen representative on Tellus. He must serve his god in whole rather than in part. Anything less and he would fail in his mission. He had to put that part of his life behind him. He was a different elf now. He wasn’t a youngling anymore. He didn’t have time to try to win anyone’s heart, especially the heart of a human.

  Mestel turned his keen eyes and ears back to the task at hand. He was his god’s servant, he was a ranger, and he had a job to do. As he looked and listened, he still saw and heard nothing. The companions walked down main street in silence, searching for any sign of life. Everyone had their weapons out, ready for anything. They were approaching the end of the road when Mestel heard a low growl come from the alley.

  He said, “Something is coming between those two houses.”

  “I don’t hear anything.”

  “Trust me, it’s there.”

  Mestel nocked an arrow on the string of his bow while everyone else stood ready. Soon after, a large mutt dog ran into the street. As the dog closed in, it began barking like crazy. The dog ran at them like a hunter chasing after its prey. Mestel considered putting the animal down with a single shot until the dog finally started to slow its approach. Mestel put up his hand telling everyone to hold. He put down his bow and walked toward the dog in as nonthreatening a manner as his ranger training would allow. The dog barked and nipped at him a few times before it reached out with its nose and sniffed Mestel’s
hand. After a moment, he put his hand on top of the dog and scratched it behind the ears. He said a silent prayer to Martel before reaching into the pouch on his hip. His hand first closed on the platinum coin that was the symbol of his god, bringing a smile to his face, and then it closed on another object. He pulled forth a bone with just a little bit of meat still attached.

  He threw the bone to the large dog and said, “I think I remember this dog from the celebration. It must belong to one of the townspeople.”

  “But where are the people?” Evisar asked.

  Valihorn added matter of factly, “When our town has been attacked in the past, we have sought shelter in the Church of Sentinel and the basement of the inn. I suggest we start by looking there.”

  Mestel was about to suggest they start with the church when Xander spoke up. “Next to Austen’s tower, the church is the most important place in town. I’m heading there first.”

  Mestel looked at Xander as he made his proclamation. On the surface, what he said made logical sense, but Mestel could tell his feelings went a lot deeper than that. Ever since Xander came back from the dead, he had been more devoted to his religion, leaving Mestel to wonder what happened in Purgatory after Martel came to claim him.

  Evisar looked at Xander with annoyance and said, “It’s as good a place as any to get started. Let’s move.”

  The companions began walking back down the long road toward the wooden church devoted to Sentinel, god of justice and neutrality. The dog that had barked furiously at them a moment ago, now walked happily alongside Mestel. Mestel smiled, knowing that it hadn’t been that long ago when he couldn’t have attracted anything to his side. He thought back to those times in the Armenien capital with his father and brother. Those had been happier times, but he had been so unsure of himself.

  Momentarily consumed by the past, Mestel thought he heard a woman scream somewhere off to the north. He turned his head and said, “Did any of you hear that?” Then without warning or conscious thought, Mestel turned to the right and started quickly down a side street. The mutt dog went with him.

  Chapter 85: Betrayal and Deception

  Evisar looked from house to house for some sign of life as the companions walked back to the church. His brother broke the silence by saying, “Did any of you hear that?” followed by Mestel running off to the north alone.

  “Mestel, where are you going?” Valihorn asked.

  Evisar raised his voice, but not too much. “Mestel, where are you going?”

  To his annoyance, Mestel did not even turn around.

  “Brother, come back.” Nothing.

  Evisar stopped walking and watched his brother run off. What was happening to him? Evisar didn’t have the answers.

  Xander came up alongside and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, “What in the name of Fortuna is he doing?”

  “I have no idea,” Evisar answered.

  Valihorn said, “Should we go after him?”

  Evisar shook his head. “No. Leave him be. He says he belongs to his god now, so let him go off on his own. Let’s keep going.”

  Evisar barely took another two steps before Nero said, “If Mestel is going north, then I’m going to investigate the southern part of town.”

  “Damn it, Nero. I can’t have everyone wandering off. Stay with the group.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t be long. I’ll meet you at the church.”

  To Evisar’s dismay, Nero did not wait for an answer, walking down an alley to the left. Evisar gritted his teeth in frustration. He needed to regain control of the situation, but that was the problem traveling with so many different personalities. Xander had his secrets along with the gem, Mestel was only interested in the voice of his god, and he had no idea what to think about Nero. Valihorn was the only steady presence.

  Evisar felt Xander and Valihorn’s eyes on him – waiting to see what he would do. Evisar tried not to let his frustration show as he started walking toward the church once again, hoping these two would follow. The three companions walked up the wooden steps and onto the porch leading to the large double doors of the church. Xander opened the door a few feet and stealthily peered in. Apparently, there was nothing to see because Xander waved them into the church with his backhand. They walked down the center isle of the church and closed the door behind them. The empty pews were a stark contrast to what Evisar remembered from before, when he stood in front of the town trying to convince them that their only chance was to work together to defeat the hill giant threat. Back then, with every seat filled, the noise had reached up to the rafters. Now there was nothing but silence.

  Evisar advanced on the simple altar to Sentinel at the back of the church. On the wall behind the altar were two doors that presumably lead to the priest’s living quarters and his more elaborate, personal altar. Evisar didn’t know much about Sentinel other than the fact that he was the human god of justice, and the only god allowed to stay in the heavens during the Year of Angels, when the overlord had forced all of the gods to live on Tellus for a year as punishment for ignoring their worshipers in favor of their selfish motives.

  The floorboards creaked as Evisar approached the holy table with the silver scales of justice lying on top.

  Valihorn spoke softly as he followed close behind. “The safe room is a cellar underneath the church. The door leading underground is in the back.”

  Evisar nodded his head and moved toward the door on the right-hand side of the back wall. Almost on cue, a loud shattering noise came from the back room on the left side of the church. Everyone froze in place, listening for more. Evisar’s heart pounded against his chest. It did not take long before something else shattered against another wall.

  The sound was followed by someone yelling, “Worthless god! How can anyone worship this idiot?” Another artifact struck the wall.

  Evisar drew Neverlost, Xander his rapier, and Valihorn a dagger. The three companions quietly walked over to the door on the left, but the creaky floorboards gave them away. For a moment, there was silence. Then, something heavy thudded against the floor.

  “Worthless pile of dung. This town needs to burn.”

  ______________________________________

  Without conscious thought, Mestel walked down the side road away from his companions. He could have sworn he heard a woman scream, but now that he had walked several hundred feet and heard nothing, he began to doubt himself. In between the houses, he could see a destroyed watchtower that had once been a part of the wall on the northern edge of town. He reached down and petted the dog behind the ears. “Well, good buddy, what should we do now?”

  *****

  Just then, Mestel’s vision went dark and he saw the outside of a house. There was nothing exceptional about the home. It was a plain farmer’s home with a wooden door and one window. The scene flashed again, and he was inside the house. There were simple furnishings in the form of a fireplace, a table, and multiple chairs. More importantly, Mestel heard the unmistakable noise of a woman sobbing in the bedroom nearby. The sobs were not the sounds of pain, but rather the sound of a soul being crushed into agonizing bits. The sound called out to Mestel and he had to answer.

  *****

  Mestel’s vision flashed back to the present and he said a little prayer to Martel for trusting him with this information. He looked frantically to the left and right as he tried desperately to find the house he had seen in his vision. When he didn’t see it, he broke into a run with the dog close behind. He cursed aloud as he passed house after house, none of which matched what he had seen. As he scanned down a street to the right, he finally saw it as the third house on the right.

  He said, “Come on, boy,” and sprinted ahead with the dog close behind.

  Mestel had always been quick as a rabbit, so he covered the distance rapidly. He had his bow in hand and an arrow nocked as he looked in the window of the home. Nothing seemed amiss. The house looked just as empty as the rest of the town.

  Time was of the essence, an
d Mestel wanted to barge into the home and save the woman who was in trouble, but that was no longer his way. He no longer charged mindlessly into situations where the enemy had the advantage. He went over to the door, twisted the knob carefully, and cracked it open. Not hearing anything, he reached into his pouch that held the coin of Martel and pulled out another bone with a little bit of meat on it. He held the bone up to the dog, who snorted happily and tried to bite at the meal in front of him. Mestel pulled the bone away and threw it through the crack in the door. The dog bounded into the house without a second thought. When there was no sound or reaction of any kind, Mestel nudged the door open with his shoulder and walked inside. He heard a muffled sob as he walked through the house. As Mestel approached the door to the bedroom, he heard a woman scream, followed by what sounded like a slap across the face. The dog lay on the floor with his bone, oblivious to the pain in the next room.

  Mestel steadied himself and then quickly burst into the bedroom. There, bent over the end of the bed was a male Krone forcing himself on a half-naked woman. Both of them turned their heads as the door slammed open; the woman underneath the Krone was Ellen!

  ________________________________

  Nero was walking down main street with the companions when he felt something off to his left. Ever since Venal had visited him during his Philosopher mission to destroy Endwood, Nero had been able to sense when someone was watching him, regardless of whether he could see the person or not. Not only could he tell when someone was nearby, he oftentimes could tell whom it was if he knew the person, or what race he was.

  Nero looked off to the left where he knew the person watching them was, but he didn’t see anything. Nero examined the odd sensation as he walked and felt that he had met whomever was watching them at least once before. After a few more steps, he realized it was a male Krone. Nero suppressed the urge to draw his rapier and run toward where he knew the Krone was hiding. His god, Venal, fought the Krone with every fiber of his being. He would be forever in Venal’s disfavor if his god ever found out he was in a room or a town with a living Krone and did nothing to kill it. Nero was also a member of the Philosophers organization in Armena. The Philosophers were a secret organization, known only to a few elves at the highest levels – accomplishing in darkness what the elves could not bring themselves to do in the light. Their motto had always been, no matter the cost, complete the mission. And the Philosophers had always done just that. Until now. Nero was an agent for the Philosophers, but he was also a double agent for the Talon Thieves Guild. That was where his true allegiance lay – with the Guild and with his god. He was climbing the Guild ladder very quickly now. At long last he had been noticed by the Guildmaster and made one of the Thirteen. He was part of the Inner Circle, where Guild policy was decided. Men followed his orders now, and he liked it. Rank had its privileges.