Book Read Free

Hammer of the Witches

Page 22

by Kai Wai Cheah


  A leper drank from an amphora, and his warts dried up and fell off. A man sipped at a dish of liquid and carved letters into a slate. A priest lit a bonfire and through the flames stepped a being very much like the one in front of me.

  “I granted victory to my champions and death to those who would oppose my people.”

  An army of laborers wheeled a great wooden horse into a great city while a beautiful woman looked on in despair. Warships burned as they drifted away from a harbor while legionnaires stormed buildings and dragged off women and children. A phalanx of hoplites sealed off a narrow mountain pass, holding fast against an enemy force ten times their number.

  “From death I brought life; from destruction, rebirth; from chaos, order. I built two civilizations that stood the test of time.”

  More images flashed. Temples illuminated by the glow of eternal fires; a man in the middle of an agora saluting an assembly of citizens; legions marching into a city, their eagles held high.

  “The Hellenes knew me as Helios Hyperion. The Romans called me Sol Invictus. I am the Unconquered Sun, the supreme ruler watching from the heavens. When the other gods finally stopped quarreling amongst themselves, I worked with them to build civilizations that would stand the test of time.

  “But even that was not enough.

  “Corruption took hold. Vice and immorality spread across the land. My children gave their posterity to barbarians.”

  Peasants surrendered grain and coins to a patrician surrounded by armed bodyguards. Men put out the sacred fires of a dilapidated temple, and women in togas occupied the building. A gang of warriors looped a rope around a statue of Sol Invictus and tore it down.

  “At the height of decadence, a voice came to me from beyond the heavens. A voice that shook all of Cosmos. He said, ‘I judge you and your kind unworthy. I shall throw you down and install my son on your vacated throne.’”

  “Was that… the Phosterian Creator?” I asked.

  “He did not identify himself. But I saw the one who claimed to be his son enter my domain and speak of love and mercy, of good and evil. I saw the man burn on his pyre and return from the ashes. I saw Emperor Amarant look for a sign in the sky and find sunlight shining through a cloud to form the shape of a hexagram.”

  “Sounds like the Creator,” I said.

  The minor god shrugged. “So be it. This new religion spread across my land like wildfire. They tore down my temples and replaced them with their own. They stole my lore and claimed it for themselves. They cursed my name and associated me with their adversary, the Unmaker. Once, I was the ruler of a continent; now I am but the lord of a little lake.

  “And yet… it is the nature of the new to overthrow the old. I did the same to the elder gods; now the Church did the same to me.

  “Under the aegis of the Church, the lands of the West prospered. They left their mark on the whole world, a feat even I could not accomplish. Building upon the ruins of the old age, they ushered in a new age of reason, democracy and abundance. You are a well-traveled man, yes? You have seen what this new religion inspired my children to do.

  “I do not bear the Church any ill will. If only for the sake of my children. Hakem told you what happens when angels war. You can imagine what happens when gods do battle.”

  “Is this where you start talking about how you stand in relation to the other gods?”

  He laughed. “Very well. Despite the best efforts of the Church, some of these children have turned their face from the divine to chase the false gods of wealth and power. These oligarchs have made the same mistakes as the Hellenes and the Romans, and they shall lead the world to ruin. And I have not seen any of Phosterians’ so-called Elect do anything substantial.

  “A new wave of invaders is coming from across the sea, and they profess belief in al-Hakem al-Dunya. Hakem does nothing to stop them, and his powers are antithetical to mine. He pursues the agenda of his master. I do not know what it is, but at least we are united against Dawla Wahiyye. And the Unmaker.

  “The Unmaker walks among the oligarchs and the invaders like a wolf among sheep. With lies and false promises he raises up those who would serve his ends and discards them when he no longer needs them. He aims to see the whole world unmade by his hands. Not even gods and angels can stop him. Not by themselves.

  “And that is why I brought you here.

  “Your war is not against ordinary rulers and nations, nor against armies and terrorists. Your war is against the Kosmokrator himself. The ruler of the world and the Archon of the Aion. He has marked you, and the only way you can survive is to covenant with me.”

  “You know everything under the sun and your spirit is in aetherium. Why can’t you stop the Unmaker?”

  “If only I could. I cannot act directly. To manifest, I require nothing less than pure, unadulterated, aetherium. The Phosterians despoiled my temples and polluted my springs. This is the last source of pure enriched aetherium in the world that is readily accessible from the surface. I must conserve my resources. So I must act through human agents.”

  “I’ve already covenanted with Hakem.”

  “Yes, but Hakem views you as expendable.”

  “What?”

  “You have not noticed? He did not try to save you when you were beset by daimons. Not even by a marid. He showed his face only after I intervened. And only reluctantly.

  “He believes himself bound by the will of his master. He thinks that by restraining himself, the other divinities will follow. It is not an unreasonable assumption, but know this: there is nothing constraining other divinities from acting upon this world. Only their beliefs prevent them from doing so.

  “Hakem will not save you if he thinks it will interfere with the Divine Plan or his instructions. You are merely the first of the covenanters he has chosen from the West. He has others. If you fall in battle, he will simply replace you with another. He has no obligation to protect you, especially since you are not yourself a Bahith.”

  “You showed Eve how to time travel. I think Hakem believes you encouraged the Unmaker to teach humans how to do the same.”

  “Hakem told me as much. But as I told Eva, the discovery of time travel is inevitable if only because the Unmaker himself will teach his pawns how to do it. I’d rather you live to fight another day than be bound by some made-up restrictions.”

  “Why?”

  He smiled benevolently. “I care for my covenanters and their allies. They are like children to me, and what father does not care for his son? I will not discard my covenanters like Hakem will: if you are in danger, I will do all in my power, what little I have left of it, to help. In my diminished form I cannot guarantee survival, much less victory, but I will help.”

  “I don’t think Hakem would appreciate that.”

  “Perhaps, but why do you care?”

  “I have to live with the consequences.”

  He laughed. “Of course, of course. But I am sure he knows of your battle with the giants. The powers he gave you were inadequate. You must stay alive for him to complete his Divine Plan, and he knows that your best hope of survival lies in a covenant with me.”

  He was right. The giants’ meat puppets shielded their consciousness from the Void. And nythium does not disperse when exposed to the Void. It takes aetherium. The power of Creation.

  “I have a choice in this?”

  “I am not like Hakem. You always have a choice. You can simply walk away. I will not stop you if you do. But if you encounter the giants again, I cannot help you.”

  Despite his loquaciousness and his presentation, I sensed there was much he hasn’t told me. But, hell, by speaking to the Unmaker, by the burden of the blood I’ve spilled, I’m already damned. It’s not as if things can get any worse from here.

  “What price do I have to pay for your power?” I asked.

  “The same price Hakem demands: to use them in the service of civilization. If you fail, I will take it back.”

  “And what power will you grant
?”

  “The mirror of Hakem’s: the power of Creation without needing ambrosia or aetherium—but at the cost of burning your own aether.”

  “I’m not going to worship you,” I said.

  “I don’t expect you to.”

  “What kind of god doesn’t want to be worshipped?” I asked.

  He smiled. “I seek allies, not priests or believers.”

  His offer was no better than Hakem’s but no worse either. I could live with that.

  “I’ll take your offer,” I said.

  He grinned. “A wise choice. Give me your right hand.”

  When I was in the military, when I had access to Nemeos armor, I mounted a nythium cell on my left arm and aetherium on my right. Perhaps he was building upon my muscle memory.

  I extended my right hand. He took it in both of his and closed his eyes.

  “Luke Landon, I select you as my covenanter. I invest in you the power of the Light, and I charge you with the duty of defending, upholding and preserving civilization. You shall be my sword and shield into the dark.”

  Heat seared through my brain. Starbursts detonated in my eyes. A line of white flame danced across the back of my palm, forming a blazing circle. Glowing spokes radiated from the hub. A fresh circle connected the spokes. More spokes and hubs grew from this central wheel, forming three layers in all.

  “It is done,” he pronounced, releasing my hand.

  “It’s… smaller than I thought,” I said, inspecting his mark. “Less dramatic, too.”

  “Indeed. You’ll find it faster to deploy than Hakem’s charagma. But I must warn you: Chaos and the Light cancel each other out. You cannot use both powers at the same time.”

  “Understood.”

  “Your friends are here.”

  Footsteps echoed in the distance. Moments later, Eve and Pete stepped out into the light.

  “Luke! Is that you?” Pete yelled.

  “Yes!” I replied. “I’m fine!”

  “Great. Who’s that with you?”

  The god turned and raised his arm. “Salve. I am Sol Invictus, and I welcome you to my humble abode.”

  Pete goggled. Eve smiled.

  “It’s been a while,” she said.

  “Indeed. You look well, my daughter.”

  “Thank you.” She looked at me. “Did you just… covenant with Luke?”

  “Yes,” he and I said at the same time.

  Eve and Pete froze, completely speechless.

  “How…?” Eve mustered. “Why? It’s… impossible!”

  “Why not? There are few restrictions on the divine. This is not one of them.”

  “What he said,” I said.

  “I hadn’t heard of someone covenanting with two gods before,” she said.

  “It is not common, but neither is it unheard of,” the god replied. “Among polytheistic religions, believers occasionally covenanted with multiple divinities. Luke is not the first. And he won’t be the last.”

  Which meant he might seek more covenanters. Or other gods would.

  She shook her head. “Luke… Why did you accept?”

  “You saw what happened with the giants. We need an edge. This is it.”

  “I hope you know what you’re in for.”

  “Me, too.”

  Pete gave me a thumbs up. “Good work, buddy.”

  “Thanks.”

  The god smiled. “Well, now that we are all gathered here today, what can I help you with?”

  “I wish to refill my supply of aetherium,” Eve said.

  “Take as much as you desire.”

  “Thank you.”

  She set down her bag and extracted every vessel she had: empty water bottles, depleted water bladders, plastic containers. I followed suit.

  “And you, my son?” Sol Invictus asked, turning to Pete. “Is there anything you wish?”

  He grinned cheekily. “Well, could you covenant with me, too?”

  The god laughed. The walls flashed white and gold.

  “If only I could. You do not have the gift of psionics. Even if I granted you a charagma, you would not be able to use it.”

  His face fell. “Aw, man.”

  “Don’t be disappointed, my son. Truly, covenanters bear the greatest burden of all. Especially for a double covenanter like Luke.”

  “Lucky me,” I said.

  “Your task is to support Luke and Eva,” Sol Invictus continued. “Hold your head with pride and face your enemies head on. Do everything you can to help them. It is what I ask of you. And in exchange, through them, I shall help you every way I can.”

  Pete nodded. “I will.”

  I folded the charagma away. The process was slightly faster than Hakem’s, but his design encompassed my entire lower left arm.

  Closing my eyes, I checked my soul. It was back to its original size and color. No doubt drinking from the aetherium had done that. The whirlpool leading to the Void was still there, just shrunken and sluggish. But now, above the pearl, there was a perfect circle of blazing light. His charagma, no doubt. Perhaps I could boost his charagma the same way I did with Hakem’s.

  Yes. But remember: greater power comes with greater cost.

  I glanced at Sol Invictus. He winked at me. I nodded.

  “Hey, Eve,” I said out loud.

  “Yeah?” she replied.

  “How did you find this place?”

  The god’s eyes sparkled. “I told her.”

  “I knew it!” Pete crowed.

  Eve simply smiled and shrugged. “What he said.”

  “Three years ago, I sensed a lonely soul wandering through the woods,” Sol Invictus said. “She was filled with sorrow and rage. She had sunk to the depths of despair, but there was a spark in her. A spark that could be cultivated. So I invited her here.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “Telepathy.”

  “Yeah, it scared me out of my wits when I first heard him,” Eve said.

  “Who did you think it was?” I asked.

  She pursed her lips. “Well, he identified himself when he spoke to me and gave me directions to this place.”

  “And I left for her a nugget of aetherium to prove my existence,” the god said.

  “I came here and found him,” Eve said.

  The god smiled. “You were overcome with surprise and awe, my daughter.”

  “I got over that.”

  Sol Invictus chuckled. “We spoke at length about the state of the world. And about her. In the end, she agreed to be my blade against the enemies of civilization.”

  I nodded. “So, Eve, the first time you came here, were you religious?”

  She looked at me oddly. “I considered myself open minded then, but no, not overtly religious.”

  “And now?”

  She sighed. “It’s complicated. And you?”

  I shrugged. “Hakem exists. The Unmaker exists. Sol Invictus exists. Beyond that… I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

  Sol Invictus laughed. “You have the rest of your life to do so.”

  Pete, Eve and I filled up our empty containers from the spring, gathering as much as we could. We drained our water bottles and reused them, too. Sol Invictus helped, sending aetherium gushing into the vessels. A quarter of an hour later, we were done.

  “Thank you for your assistance,” Eve said.

  “Thank you for your hard work,” he said. “Luke, there is one more thing before you go.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “If you can, keep a small amount of pure aetherium on your person wherever you go. It anchors me to you. Should the Unmaker show his face again, call on me, and I will send him off.”

  “It interferes with my Void powers,” I said.

  “Only because the aetherium here is currently configured as a benign paling. Change it into a consumable form, and you can freely tap the Void.”

  “How?”

  “Here.”

  Light seared into my head. Through it I saw groups of atoms chained
together in unique configurations and an array of mathematical notations. The images danced in my head for a moment and then slammed together and exploded in a flash.

  And with that, I knew.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “You’re welcome.” He shot out his right arm. “Salve, brave souls. I send you now to war. May you emerge victorious.”

  Eve tapped her hand to her heart and snapped it out. “Victory or death!”

  I mimicked her. “Victory or death!”

  Pete blinked and followed. “Victory or death.”

  By the time we returned to the surface, the sun was high in the sky. Brushing dust from my face and clothes, I turned on my phone. It vibrated against my wrist. Repeatedly.

  So did Pete’s. And Eve’s.

  I had three missed calls. All were from the airship. Steeling myself, I returned the call.

  “Luke, it’s Captain Harding. We have a problem.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “There’s been a terrorist attack. DW claimed responsibility.”

  Delta: Monsters

  Dawla Wahiyye were monsters. Nothing else could explain this atrocity.

  “This is the latest update on the Berlin strike as of an hour ago,” Piotr Klauseman said. “The Germans count one hundred and twenty-four dead and three hundred wounded. Rescue workers are still recovering bodies. Three more survivors have been found so far.”

  The handler listened to the dispassionate delivery and burned the slides into his brain. He took no notes; with his memory implants he didn’t need to. All around him, his alleged colleagues tried and failed to maintain poker faces. Some were horrified. The rest were grim.

  “The Germans have reconstructed the attack and shared their findings with us. I must stress that this material is classified: there is information here that has not been shared with the press.

  “Analysts believed the first attack occurred at about oh-eight-three-zero hours on the incoming U-Bahn train at Nollendorfplatz interchange. They pulled up this post from Memet.”

  The projector displayed a screen grab. The photograph splashed across the center showed a monster. Two horns sprouted from its heavy skull, curling toward it feet. A strip of faux hair ran down its bare back. It was so huge and muscular it took up the entire train aisle. It was glancing to its right. Everybody in front and around it was wreathed in flames. The daimon cocked a massive clawed paw, about to swat aside a hero trying to charge it.

 

‹ Prev