Do the Gods Give Us Hope?

by Jeff Henrikson

  The King flopped around on his throne, trying to buy time. “How can we fight Kentar and Armena at the same time? It can’t be done.”

  Shane pressed on. “No, it can’t. We must pull our forces back to the surface, collapse the entrance to the Underworld, and concentrate on the human army approaching Ash. Once they are dealt with, if Invictus wills it, we will return to fight against the Krone and finish what we started.”

  Holidor was still on the steps facing the King. “I agree with Shane, your Majesty.”

  Everyone in the room wanted to believe what Shane was saying. They wanted to believe it could be done, but Naffon knew it would never happen. If they gave the Krone some breathing room, the moment would be lost. This was their one and only chance. Everyone knew that, including the young King.

  King Jalid said, “What of diplomacy? We should talk with the humans. Perhaps we can convince them to withdraw before blood is shed.”

  Shane responded. “I sympathize, your Majesty, but we can’t wait to see if diplomacy works before moving our armies out of the Underworld.”

  Holidor nodded his head in agreement. “We will attempt diplomacy, your Majesty, but we have to assume it will fail, even if it succeeds. If it succeeds, then all the better. We can turn our attention back to the Krone. If diplomacy fails, and our army is not already on the move, we will never be able to react in time. We will lose Ash for certain and possibly more.”

  Shane moved forward to get the last word. “Also, don’t forget, your Majesty, that your father already tried talking to the humans, and look where we are today.”

  The King nodded his head in acceptance. “It is an opportunity lost, but we must be prepared to defend ourselves against the humans if Armena is to survive. General Holidor?”

  “Yes, my King.”

  “Adel will return you to the Underworld where you are to move our army toward Ash with all possible haste.”

  “Yes, your Majesty.”

  King Jalid said, “Can it be done? Will you make it to Ash in time?”

  “It will be a near thing, your Majesty, but I will push them as best I can. If we can get to the city before the humans do, then we will have a defensive advantage. If they take the city before we get there, then we will have to either hold back and wait, or go on the attack, both of which would be costly.”

  The King stood before his throne for dramatic effect. “It is at Ash that we will make our stand against these humans. These are our woods, and no one knows them as we do. Let them come and discover why our enemies have hesitated to attack us under the forest canopy for millennia.”

  The King did his best to be inspirational, but the words seemed forced and small coming from a King so young, delivered to a mostly empty room. Naffon left the throne room early that morning hoping that General Holidor and the Armenien Army could rise above the ability of its leaders.

  Chapter 101: Venal Enters the War

  Venal moved with a divine thought from his godly domain to the edge of Purgatory. One of his faithful had fallen in combat against the Krone and needed to be claimed before the allotted time expired. Seker sensed his presence, as the arrival of another god did not go unnoticed. The God of the Dead sat on his skeleton throne looking at the scenes of exquisite death that adorned his walls. As Venal moved out of the shadows and walked across the bones and decaying bodies that formed the walkway up to the throne, Seker turned his large red eyes toward him.

  Venal was never intimidated, but if he ever was, it would be in the presence of Seker. “I have come to claim a follower by the name of Mishra. He is an elf who recently fell in battle against the Krone.”

  Seker waved his hand dismissively to the side, signifying that Venal’s follower was a waste of his time. “You are welcome to him. He has provided only the barest of entertainment. Why are your kind always so sullen?”

  “Defending the elven way of life against such a vicious enemy is solemn work.”

  Seker nodded his head in sympathy. “Don’t you ever grow weary of protecting those who won’t protect themselves? Don’t you ever feel like an outcast among your own kind?”

  “Never. Death to the Krone; only then may the joy of life begin anew.” He recited the mantra with practiced enthusiasm, but his heart was not in it. Seker’s words struck deeper than he dare let on. It was almost as though he were reading Venal’s thoughts. Ever since Martel condemned him as worthless and walked away, effectively ending their friendship, Venal had increasingly felt as though he no longer had a place in the elven pantheon. And now Seker was putting voice to Venal’s inner feelings. Perhaps he should go his own way and let the elves of Tellus fend for themselves.

  He shook his head. It was an idle fantasy that did not fit his godly purpose. He fought the Krone willingly to avenge all the wrongs cast against him over the millennia: the murder of his kin, bringing his followers to the brink of extinction during the Year of Angels, breaking their agreement and taking the First Heir into the Underworld, and a thousand more betrayals that all blended together to form his never-ending hatred of the Krone. Venal recited his words proudly. “Death to the Krone …”

  Seker quickly finished the phrase before Venal could continue. “… only then may the joy of life begin anew.” He said the words with a dull drone that mocked Venal and all he stood for. “Yes, yes. Valiant words, but don’t you want more? Wouldn’t you rather have a life of your own that didn’t involve constantly carrying out Invictus’s will?”

  What Seker said made a certain amount of sense, which meant it was time to end this parlay. “I have come for my follower as is my right. Bring him to me now, or there will be trouble.”

  Seker nodded his head and raised his hands as a gesture of good will. “Of course, I will do as you ask, but before I do, I wish to discuss a very serious matter with you. Will you hear me out?”

  In truth Venal had many other things to do, and many other areas where his concentration was needed, but this was Seker’s world. “Go ahead.”

  Seker leaned forward on his throne and came right to the point. “Why don’t you join with me? We would make excellent allies. I admire your warrior instincts; you have brought many souls into my kingdom, and for that I am grateful. I can help you destroy the Krone. I can help you destroy Evona.”

  Venal had barely been listening, his concentration focused on other matters, but the mention of his mortal enemy brought him back to this dark place where death reigned and hope was a forgotten concept.

  Seker continued. “She is incredibly beautiful, is she not? It’s amazing that someone so evil can be so striking. Even with her cursed black skin she is still the most beautiful woman in or below the heavens. She has corrupted the Krone with her evil ways. They are irredeemable and deserve to be destroyed. Their foul souls should litter my kingdom for all eternity, forgotten by history.”

  Venal had had enough. “Why are you talking to me about this? What do you really want?”

  “I want you as an ally. I want to know that you will come to my aid in my time of greatest need, just as I am offering to come to your aid during your time of greatest need.”

  Venal suddenly became troubled. “What do you mean? What is about to happen that would require your help?”

  Seker sat back on his throne with a seriousness that spoke volumes. “Speak with your follower and think about what I have proposed.”

  With that said, Seker waved his hand and Mishra appeared. Venal called the fallen elf over to his side and led him out of Purgatory and into his kingdom.

  Soon thereafter, Venal was in his throne room speaking with Mishra for the first time. He always met his followers eye-to-eye when he spoke to them for the first time, preferring to speak openly and honestly rather than sitting atop his throne like an aristocrat dispensing commands to those who are lower than him. It was his way of remembering that as powerful as he was, he would be nothing without his followers. It was their worship that gave him power to battle the Krone. They were the ones who gave their liv
es to his cause, while he sat on his immortal throne up in the heavens.

  Venal said, “You fought well, Mishra. You killed many Krone in your lifetime and have rightfully earned a place of honor in my kingdom.”

  Mishra bowed his head, unwilling to look at the magnificence that was his god. “Thank you, my lord.”

  “Tell me about your last day on Tellus. Tell me in your own words how you died.”

  Mishra shook his head in confusion, still looking down at the stones that made up Venal’s temple. “Do you not already know, my lord? What will be accomplished by my recounting the end of my mortal existence?”

  It was a common question for those who first arrived. “As my follower, I know the details of what happened, but talking about how you die often helps a new arrival shed his mortal existence and prepares him for a future life in my kingdom. I want to hear your thoughts as you tell the story in your own time.”

  Ordinarily this was true, and it was partially true here, but Venal also wanted to learn what Seker had meant, and he wanted to learn it as quickly as possible.

  Mishra continued to look down as he spoke. “The Army of Kentar has been desperately battling the Krone ever since they came out of the Underworld near the ruins of Coria several moons ago. At first, we battled them on the surface, but we beat them so badly that we forced them back into the hole from which they came. Our losses were heavy, but we kept on them, never giving the beasts a chance to set up a defense.” Mishra paused and looked up at Venal with pride. “I always volunteered to be in the vanguard as we defeated them in battle after battle. I stormed the walls of their cities with my elven brothers at my side. My reflexes were quick and my sword was sharp. I killed so many Krone that I lost count.”

  Venal spoke with pride. “One hundred and fourteen, to be exact.”

  Mishra nodded his head and continued on excitedly. “We had them beaten. We were talking about destroying all of their cities and breaking their backs for the next thousand years. It would have meant an end to their evil for the rest of my life.”

  Venal noticed that his follower kept speaking in the past tense, as though crushing the Krone and destroying all of their cities was no longer an option. “But now that isn’t possible.”

  Mishra nodded his head in disgust. He breathed out loudly before saying, “It is not, my lord. And our retreat out of the Underworld is what led to my death.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Less than a day ago the order came from King Jalid to pull out of the Underworld by way of the ruins of Coria and seal the entrance.”

  Venal could not believe what he was hearing. “What! Why!”

  Mishra cowered at the rage coming from Venal. He quickly looked down at his feet once again. “I… I… I was told that, that the humans of Kentar had an army approaching Ash, and that we had to go defend the city.”

  “Are you telling me that we have the Krone on Seker’s door step with a chance to destroy this mortal enemy, and we are going to let that chance slip away because a human army might threaten one of our cities?”

  “I’m afraid so, my lord.”

  Venal was stunned beyond belief. His anger went so far beyond rage that he was actually able to remain calm in front of his follower.

  Mishra continued. “I was in the rearguard as the last of our forces retreated back to the surface. Five of us held the entrance as the rest of the army pulled back, but before we could pull out ourselves, we were caught in an ambush. The Krone came at us from a secret tunnel off to the side that had been magically hidden from our view. They took us by surprise from behind as they simultaneously attacked from the front. I saw them coming at us just in time to save two of my friends from dishonorably being cut down from behind. I was in command of the rearguard, so it was my responsibility to hold them off. We were outnumbered thirty to one by the Krone, so I ordered my squad to run for the surface while I held the line. I managed to cut six of them down before they stabbed me to death. They would have preferred to torture me with a slow death, but they killed me quickly so they could run after my friends. I can only hope they made it out and collapsed the entrance in time.” Mishra looked up at him once again. “I died alone, bleeding out in a stone tunnel that belonged to my enemy.”

  Venal’s anger had subsided somewhat. Now he knew what Seker had been talking about. He needed to think about his next move, but before he could do that he needed to give his follower some semblance of hope. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment on the battle his follower died in. It did not take long to find the answer to his question.

  “Rest easy, my son. All of your friends made it out of the tunnel thanks to your heroic stand. The tunnel has been collapsed and the danger has temporarily passed.”

  “Thank you, my lord.”

  “Why don’t you go and make yourself comfortable in my kingdom? Rest assured, your death was not in vain and it will not go unavenged. Together, we will make the Krone pay for what they have done.”

  “Thank you, my lord.” Mishra turned around and left the temple, leaving Venal to his thoughts.

  After Mishra left, Venal went to his chambers to meditate on what his next campaign against the Krone would look like. The news that the Army of Armena had pulled out of the Underworld was most distressing. They had a chance to obliterate the Krone once and for all, but for the human interference. It was strange that the humans of Kentar chose this moment to attack Armena after three hundred years of silence. He could feel the influence of another god in this matter, but there was no way to know which one. Not yet. Ordinarily, he would ask Martel for advice on what to do next, but this time he was on his own. Martel had forsaken him after finding out about the deal he had made with Evona to assassinate the King of Armena. Losing the King was a great blow, but Venal had been right to make the deal. It was the assassination of every Matron Mother in every major city in the Underworld that had brought the Krone to the brink of extinction.

  As Venal continued to meditate, one thought reverberated in his mind over and over again. This is the best opportunity to destroy the Krone I have seen in my six thousand years. I can’t let it slip away. But what could he do? He was only a demi-god. To a mortal he had power beyond imagination, but in the heavens his powers were extremely limited when compared to other gods such as Martel and Invictus, and his already meager resources were stretched to the breaking point. There were a few more followers he could force to get more directly involved, like the elf who recently became one of the Thirteen in the Talon Thieves Guild. There was only so much any of these untapped followers could do. He was already using every source of influence at his disposal. Unless …

  The idea came to him like a lightning bolt. There was something else he could do. Something he hadn’t done in more than six thousand years. It was an incredible gamble that could only result in the destruction of the Krone or the end of his immortal existence. Venal meditated on the idea for a long time. He knew in his gut that it was a risk worth taking, but he had to make sure his intellect matched the service his soul demanded of him.

  He pulled out the trunk that contained his weapons and armor. He put on his black leather armor, slung Black Vengeance over his shoulder, and secured his dagger and sword around his waist. He stormed out of his chambers and into his throne room. The guards stood at attention at his entry. It only took a moment for Venal to spot Shevel, his trusted second in command.

  He walked rigidly over to Shevel and said, “You will be in charge of my kingdom and all of my immortal affairs until I return.”

  “And when will that be, my lord?”

  “When all of the Krone cities in the Underworld are destroyed.” Without waiting for a reply, Venal turned on his heel and started walking toward the enormous temple doors.

  Shevel yelled behind him. “We have been trying ever since your ascension more than six thousand years ago, my lord, and we have never succeeded.”

  “I will succeed this time, or I will die trying.”

  Chap
ter 102: The Sorcerers Academy

  The companions reappeared in an alleyway. It was obvious to Valihorn that they were in a city of some sort, but there was no way to tell which one. Nobody was around, which meant they did not have to explain their sudden appearance to anyone, but it also meant they could not ask where they were. Evisar quickly gathered everyone together to see if anyone was missing.

  As Valihorn faced everyone, he was caught off guard for the thousandth time at everyone’s appearance. It took a moment for him to remember that all of his elf friends, including himself, were disguised as humans.

  Evisar asked, “Does anyone know where we are?”

  Nobody knew. Valihorn looked around at the tall brick buildings on either side of him and the narrow cobblestone walkway leading out to a larger road.

  “We were supposed to be transported to Jewlian, at the gate of the Sorcerers Academy, but since we did not depart the genie’s company on the best of terms, there is no telling where we are. We probably need to walk down to the main road and it will become obvious.”

  Evisar said, “Alright, Valihorn, you lead the way.”

  Valihorn’s relatively good mood vanished as he felt the burden of leadership descend on his shoulders. Valihorn hated being in charge. He hated being a leader for two reasons. First, he did not have the character necessary to be a good leader. It was a limitation about himself that he had grown to accept. Every leader he had watched over the years had a certain confidence and draw. It was difficult to define a good leader, but everyone knew one when they saw one. In Valihorn’s mind, Evisar was a good leader. He was strong, confident, and when he spoke everyone instinctively listened to what he had to say. The second reason was more subtle but even more important. People that were blindly led about reminded him of sheep being led to the slaughter. The sheep mindlessly followed the leader, giving up some of their personal freedom, oblivious to the fate that was about to befall them, because they liked the comfort of not having to think for themselves.