The Godling Chronicles:Book 05 - Madness of the Fallen

by Brian D. Anderson

  After arriving back at the camp, Louis ordered his captains to stand down and then led Melek to the southern end of the settlement. Here, he ordered a tent be erected and food prepared for their guest. Melek thanked the king and waited patiently until his accommodation was made ready. A number of curious glances were shot in his direction as he stood there. Rumors were already spreading, and the general mood was changing to one of trepidation and confusion.

  Once all was prepared, Lousis showed Melek inside the tent and over to a small table in the corner. On this sat a bowl of beef stew and a plate of fruit and bread. A bottle of wine together with a small wooden cup completed the meal.

  “I’m afraid that this is the best we can do under the circumstances,” said Lousis.

  Chairs for the rest of the group had also been brought in and arranged in a semi-circle at the tent’s center. Lousis had already instructed his guard and the seekers to keep what they had seen to themselves for the time being. Rumors may be unstoppable within an army, but he did not want to spread the word that a god other than Darshan now walked amongst them. Not until he could be sure of Melek’s sincerity and intentions.

  Melek ate ravenously, stuffing the food into his mouth and gulping down the wine as if he was on the brink of starvation. When all was gone, he let out a sad sigh.

  “I can have more brought if you wish,” offered Lousis.

  Melek held up his hand and shook his head. “No thank you, Your Highness. This must all be quite confusing, and I am sure you are anxious to hear answers.”

  “Indeed,” Lousis affirmed. “You can begin by telling us how you know Darshan?”

  “The answer to that is not as straightforward as it might seem,” Melek replied. “But I will try to tell you as simply as possible.” He stood up and carried his chair over to join the others. “As I have already told you, I am the same as Darshan - a god. At least, that is what you call us. I was imprisoned in a place called Shagharath until Darshan freed me. In order to repay this debt I have pledged to help him vanquish the one you know as the Reborn King. Or the Dark Knight, if you prefer.”

  “I have heard of Shagharath,” said Bellisia.

  “As have I,” added Chiron. “But only as a legend. I never thought it to be a real place.”

  Melek’s eyes darkened. “It is very real, I can assure you. I languished in that nightmare longer than you can imagine. And there I thought I would spend eternity. That is, until Darshan came. Through his mercy I have a second chance at life…now that I am free.”

  Mohanisi leaned in to meet Melek’s eyes. “You say you were a prisoner. How did this happen? How is a god imprisoned? And by whom?”

  Melek sniffed. “By those I trusted most. There are many things you do not know. Many tales you have not heard. That the nine gods worshiped in this world were not the first created is one of those tales. I was the first and most powerful. And then....”

  He paused as if the words would not come. “And then my wife, Ustrea. She came next. Together, we gave birth to the nine gods you know today. They are my children and I loved them dearly. And it was my love for them that caused my downfall.”

  “Are you saying that your children imprisoned you?” Mohanisi pressed. “How could that be accomplished if your power is so great?”

  Melek frowned. “Are the gods not imprisoned now? Was this not accomplished by a mere human? I was betrayed; that is the truth. If you do not believe me, I will speak no more of this until Darshan arrives.”

  “I meant no offense,” said Mohanisi, though his tone was unapologetic. “Please continue with your tale.”

  There was a long pause as the pair locked eyes. Finally, an understanding smile crept over Melek’s face. He gave a soft laugh. “You are right to question me, of course. I forget how mortal minds work. I have been alone for such a long time.”

  He leaned back and folded his hands in his lap. “As I was saying – eventually I was betrayed. In spite of my warnings, and directly against the commands of the Creator, Gerath wished to rule in the mortal realm. He came down from heaven and demanded worship and sacrifice. Those who would not bow to his will were destroyed. My wife and the rest of my children wanted to rise up against him, but I knew they were no match for his power. So I did the unthinkable. I created Shagharath as a place to contain his evil, then forged a weapon known as the Fangs of Yajna that was able to send his spirit there.”

  A frown formed on Melek’s face. “But Gerath was clever. He discovered my plan and set about poisoning the minds of his brothers and sisters. Eventually, they all turned against their mother and me. They stole my weapon, then lured us into a trap. We fought on the shores of what you call the Western Abyss – and in the end it was not Gerath, but his parents who were both cast into the hell of Shagharath.”

  “Is your wife still there?” Mohanisi asked.

  Melek shook his head and shut his eyes. “Ustrea could not bear her fate. Before too long she threw herself into the pit of oblivion. Her light is no more.” His words were a lament.

  “I am sorry if I have caused you pain with my persistence,” said Mohanisi. “But these are things we must know if we are to trust you.”

  Melek smiled. “I understand. And I would like to tell you the tale in full, but that is far longer than you can ever fathom. You would grow to old age before hearing even the half of it. Darshan was able to know me and trust me because we are kin. As for you, I can only answer your questions and hope that you recognize truth when you hear it.”

  “I want to believe you,” said Lousis. “Another god as an ally would be more than I could dream of. But I must still be cautious. Darshan is not here to corroborate your story.”

  “That brings me to another question,” Bellisia interjected. “Why is Darshan not with you?”

  “When he released me from Shagharath, his physical body was far away from here,” Melek explained. “But I had not yet taken a physical form so was able to see vast distances in a single instant. When I saw that the friends of my liberator were on the verge of defeat, I chose to take form here so as to aid you in your hour of need.”

  “And we thank you for that,” added Lousis. “But tell me…how did Darshan know of you? None of us have ever heard the name Melek before. And how did he find a way to release you?”

  “I am afraid to say that one of his friends sacrificed her life in order to help him secure my freedom,” said Melek. “A human named Maybell had knowledge of my imprisonment, and of how to release me. She was the only human who knew of my plight. She understood that with me at Darshan’s side, the war would quickly be over and thousands of lives saved. Unfortunately, it meant that she had to accompany him to Shagharath.” He lowered his eyes. “Her body was destroyed in the process.”

  “I knew Maybell,” said Lousis. “She was a good, kind woman. I am saddened to hear of her passing.”

  Melek stood and surveyed the gathering. “I know you have many reservations. And that your questions are more numerous than the stars. But if you will allow me to prove myself through my actions, by the time Darshan arrives you will already be calling me friend. Together we can beat back the darkness that threatens to encompass this world, and ensure that it never returns.”

  “How do you propose to prove yourself?” asked Lousis.

  Melek flashed a toothy grin. “By rescuing the rest of your army. Those who fight in the south will surely be defeated if no help comes. Let me save them before it is too late.”

  “You know of their fate?” asked Lousis, anxious to hear news of Nehrutu and Aaliyah.

  “Your enemy is clever,” Melek replied. “He sent an army to meet them and sank most of their vessels. At this moment they are attempting to break through to join you.” He shook his head. “They will not succeed.”

  “How do you know this?” asked Chiron.

  “Partly because of what I saw when I left Shagharath. And partly because I pried it from the mind of the enemy commander.” His grin turned malicious. “He was most help
ful.”

  Lousis rubbed his chin. “Can you give us time to discuss this?”

  “As you wish, Your Highness. But know that each minute of delay is another life lost.”

  Lousis nodded slowly and stood. The others did the same. “Please make yourself comfortable,” he said. “My guard will be just outside should you require anything.”

  “Thank you,” said Melek. “If I could have some more to eat….”

  “I will see to it at once,” said Lousis. He then turned and led the others out.

  * * * * *

  Melek watched with an artificial smile as they departed. He held his fleshy hands in front of his face and groaned.

  “Is this what I am reduced to?” he muttered.

  His subtle yet effective use of the flow of the spirit had worked. He could have easily used more force while manipulating their minds. But if he had, the elves present might have sensed what he was doing.

  Better this way, he thought. To leave Darshan’s friends mostly unchanged may be the wiser course. Not that he will need much persuading once he learns the truth about his foe. Then, he will have no choice but to accept my help. And after that, he will give me his in return.

  A short time later a soldier entered with more food. Melek thanked him and began devouring the meal. The body he had used to create his physical form had been nearly starved. But if he’d remained in spirit form any longer than he had, he would have simply blinked out of existence. He’d needed to bind himself to the earth quickly, and this poor creature was the only human close enough to the Angrääl army for him to reach and destroy it before battle commenced.

  I should have just used a soldier, he thought. In any event, it was far too late now. This was his body in this world until heaven could be unlocked....unlocked and conquered.

  * * * * *

  Lousis led the others to the very far edge of the camp. Here, he hoped, they would be beyond the hearing of a god, though he doubted it. He could feel the eyes of the soldiers following him as they passed by. Though the secret of exactly what had happened to the enemy army was being well kept for the time being, there was no hiding the pillars of black smoke rising from their position. Combined with the arrival of a young man who was immediately allowed to speak privately to both himself and King Victis, not to mention all of the most senior elves, it was clear to everyone in the camp that something significant must have come about.

  Once in a relatively secluded area, Lousis gathered the others close.

  “My instincts tell me to believe him,” he stated firmly.

  Before they even realized what they were doing, everyone but Mohanisi nodded in agreement.

  “You have reservations?” asked Chiron.

  “I cannot explain why,” he replied. “But I feel as if we are being manipulated. Do none of you find his story lacking substance? He explains very little, and yet we are ready to accept it after asking only a few questions.”

  Lousis shrugged. “Even if you’re right, my friend – what can we do? Melek offers to destroy our enemy in our most desperate hour of need. Should he not be who he claims to be, I would still be grateful for that.”

  “I agree,” said Victis. “If not one word of what he says about himself is true, our enemy still lies dead on the field at this very moment. That is a difficult fact to ignore.”

  “And can we ignore what he tells us of Nehrutu and Aaliyah?” added Lousis. “They may well be in a desperate situation, just as he says. Do we leave their fate to chance?”

  His words were met by silent agreement.

  “Good,” said Lousis. “Then we will accept his help for now. At least until we are able to speak with Darshan.”

  He paused for any objections. There were none.

  Lousis nodded. “So let us inform our new friend.”

  Chapter 16

  Aaliyah reached over to give Nehrutu’s hand a slight squeeze. She couldn’t help but notice that his once soft palms were now calloused and rough from the hardships of war. He looked into her eyes and responded through their bond by sending waves of love and strength.

  In the distance, the banners of Angrääl fluttered in a gentle breeze. Scouts had told Nehrutu that because of the swift way in which he had moved their army, the enemy was finding it impossible to compensate and consolidate their forces. Even so, they were still greatly outnumbered. It would be a hard fought victory if they were able to prevail. And afterward, they would be chased north the entire way.

  Nehrutu raised his arm and the name Darshan rose like a tide from the ranks. Seconds later, as if in an angry response, the enemy catapults began sending dozens of deadly projectiles hurtling through the air toward them. This was the moment that Nehrutu had been waiting for. He and Aaliyah immediately sent a whirlwind roaring skyward. Their initial combined efforts managed to slow the heavy balls but not completely stop them. The pair of them pressed harder - and then even harder still - until both were at the absolute limit of their power. The missiles gradually slowed more until, with a huge sigh of relief from Nehrutu, they eventually hung motionless in the air. They remained like this for a short time before exploding in a series of mighty booms.

  The blasts from these explosions were sufficient to send more than half of their soldiers stumbling to the ground. But it was only a temporary setback. They were back on their feet within moments and charging across the open field toward the enemy ranks. Nehrutu and Aaliyah maintained the flow of the air as their soldiers advanced, all the while looking out for the Vrykol they felt sure would be sent to disrupt their power.

  “Where are they?” shouted Nehrutu. “Surely our luck cannot be so good?”

  Just as his words were spoken, the first sounds of clashing steel tore through the air. Nehrutu smiled over at Aaliyah. She looked supremely confident and powerful. In fact, since she had learned of Darshan’s death, it was as if her own powers had somehow doubled to match the ferocity of her heart.

  She returned his smile. Then, drawing a long knife with one hand and holding the dagger given to her by Darshan in the other, she stormed ahead to join the fray. Nehrutu followed, struggling to keep pace even though the bond he now shared with Aaliyah had given him speed and strength way beyond anything he had ever experienced before.

  As he drew closer Nehrutu could see that their initial charge had already succeeded in pushing Angrääl back at least twenty yards. The humans had taken position on their left and right flanks, allowing the elves to run straight up the middle and wedge the enemy apart. The original plan to send the humans into the center had been set aside following Aaliyah’s magnificent motivational performance on the beach. Fueled by her words, such was the fury of the elves they had virtually demanded the new strategy and were confident of winning the day.

  Even so, Nehrutu had elected to leave three men bearing trumpets at the rear. In spite of the elves’ renewed determination, he knew they would need to be careful. If they penetrated too deeply there was a danger of finding themselves surrounded. They needed to scatter the enemy’s center rather than simply cause it to fall back. If Nehrutu signaled one trumpet blast they were to halt the advance. Two blasts meant to regroup and fall back slowly.

  There was no signal for a full retreat.

  By the time Nehrutu approached the front he found himself being forced to step over dozens of slain Angrääl soldiers. It seemed that the savagery of the elves and the courage of the humans was easily overcoming the handicap of their fewer numbers. What’s more, the enemy catapults were becoming much less of a threat; should they fire now they would be destroying their own men as well.

  So devastating had their attack been, it was nearly half an hour before he and Aaliyah actually came face-to-face with an enemy soldier. A fair-haired youth wielding a chipped battle-axe, his helmet and shield battered to the point of uselessness, was the first Nehrutu confronted. Ignoring his enemy’s fear, he took the youth’s head from his shoulders with one quick stroke.

  Aaliyah was faring just as well. H
er speed was astonishing. With a single fluid movement she ducked beneath a lunging spear, plunged her dagger into the heart of its wielder, then gutted a second soldier with her long knife.

  The rage he could feel coming from her was not an uncontrollable inferno, but a righteous current of governed passion. Again and again the enemy fell to her flashing steel. So slow were their reactions to her attacks, they looked as if frozen in time by comparison.

  It was then that Nehrutu felt Vrykol for the first time. Though, to his great relief, there was only one of them. He could sense it approaching from his left, its malice growing by the second. The creature was making no effort to disguise its objective....Aaliyah.

  It wasn’t until it was ten yards away that Nehrutu caught sight of its black cloak and wicked steel. Aaliyah also knew it was there, but was heavily occupied with six soldiers who had rushed her position. She was having no trouble in avoiding their clumsy attempts to run her through, but they all bore shields. Nehrutu knew it would take her time to overcome them.

  With a dozen blinding strokes he cut his way through the enemy and placed himself directly between the creature and Aaliyah. He heard a hissing laugh escape from beneath its hood.

  An elf fighter stepped in and tried to take the beast’s head, but it raised its blade and parried the strike. Before the elf could counter, the Vrykol spun. Steel met flesh, ripping through the elf’s mid-section until it lodged in his spine. Blood sprayed from his mouth and poured from the wound. In a blur of movement the Vrykol kicked the elf free from his sword and lurched at Nehrutu.

  Sparks flew as the two blades clashed. The Vrykol pushed forward, swinging in tightly controlled arcs that would have cut almost any other opponent to ribbons. While skillfully evading or blocking each new onslaught, Nehrutu was also able to slip his own blade through barely perceivable gaps in the Vrykol’s defense. He found the creature’s flesh at least five times, though none of these strikes slowed it in the slightest. But Nehrutu pressed on, knowing that it was only a matter of time before an opportunity would arise to take the beast’s head.