Wrath of the Risen God: Arcane Renaissance Book Three

by Tim Paulson

  That stung actually, Mia wondered that herself. “Look... I'm sorry I-”

  Claus held up a hand. “I've got it.” He pointed to an adjutant who rushed to Giselle's aide, suggesting the direction she could go to find a privy. Then he stepped off, gesturing toward a set of tall tents in the distance. Piotr began following but Claus rounded on him.

  “I'm sorry, but there are no weaselmen in the command tents, by order of the Emperor,” Claus said.

  Piotr sputtered, twitching his whiskers. “Emperor is fat asshole.”

  “Yes I know. You go right ahead and take it up with him,” Claus pointed to a second adjutant, then the weaselman. “Get him food, and watch him.”

  Claus stopped at his tent, holding the flap for Greta and Mia.

  “I'm surprised the emperor would make laws like that about weaselmen,” Greta said as she entered.

  “Me too,” Claus replied. “Because I made it up.”

  Mia chuckled.

  “Ah, the stone lady has a sense of humor after all.”

  Mia glared at him. “I'm not made of stone... I'm pretty sure of that.”

  Greta looked at her, shaking her head. “He means your attitude, not your... the rest of you.”

  Claus entered behind them, circling around to the other side of a small fold-able wooden desk. “After what she did in the battle with those Willenders, I'd believe anything. I assume you lost that confrontation.”

  Mia nodded. “We went through a lot but I survived and Greta survived. That's what matters.”

  “What about the technician?” Claus asked.

  “We had to leave him behind...” Greta said, staring off into space. “But Mia says it may be possible to save him.”

  “Ha!” Clause said as he used a shaking hand to grip a carafe of what appeared to be a black brandy. “I'll drink to that.”

  Greta saw and frowned. “Are you alright?”

  Claus coughed. “I've been better... but also worse.”

  “What do you mean?” Mia asked him.

  “Do you want some? Either of you?” he asked.

  Both women shook their heads.

  “More for me then,” he said, filling the glass two-thirds of the way up. “This is... my treatment actually. Doctors orders. Apparently there are herbs in this that aid with my condition.”

  “What's that?” Greta asked him.

  “Consumption,” he replied. “But don't worry yourselves. I'm told I'm on the mend. It saved my life actually.”

  “How is that?” Mia asked him.

  “Well you know how I left you and what our plans were. Well, we carried them out. Marched nearly a third of the emperor's army out of Faustland, or what was Faustland anyway, back toward the eastern countries. We made camp at Kleinstadt and sent riders to the emperor with a statement of our intentions to secede.

  “I'd imagine that didn't go over very well,” Greta said.

  “You'd know wouldn't you,” Claus replied, taking a large swig from his glass and grimacing as the black liquor went down his throat. “You're his niece after all.”

  Mia frowned at her. “You're the niece of Emperor Hapsenberg?”

  “It's a bit more complicated than that, but... basically... yes,” Greta replied.

  “I don't actually know if the emperor got the letter because two nights later a pair of Tian priests entered the camp and asked to see me. I saw no reason not to oblige them. They were just priests after all, what harm could they do? Well, they used some sort of stone to put me to sleep. I woke up bound and gagged halfway to Magenberg.”

  “How did you escape?” Greta asked.

  “I didn't. When I arrived I was thrown directly into the dungeon, where I spent a month and a half. It's there I came down with the cough. The jailers told me I was to be hanged in a few days. I presume it was for treason but when I became sick, no one wanted to touch me. I languished there, sure that one day, I'd wheeze my last breath. It gave me a lot of time to think.”

  “I'll bet,” Mia replied. “Yet now you're here?”

  Claus chuckled, taking another swig of the apparently vile tasting liquid. “Indeed. Fate is a fickle thing is she not? Not a week ago, I was drawn out of the dungeon without a word, bathed, treated, and hauled before the emperor himself. In his private chambers of course.”

  “And?” Greta asked, leaning forward on her seat.

  “And this,” Claus replied, gesturing all around. “He said an army from Faustland led by a man with a golden mask was crushing our grand army. I could join the war effort, die with glory, like a hero, perhaps even redeem myself, or go back into the dungeon until I coughed my last. Oh and.. you're off the hook. He said there was no chance he'd agree to our marriage... but if I don't die, he'll make sure I find a woman of station as befits my house.”

  Greta frowned. “How dare he tell anyone who I'm allowed to marry.”

  “He is your relation and the emperor,” Mia said. “I'm all for freedom, don't get me wrong, but if there's anyone who has a good argument that he ought to have a say, it's him.”

  Claus pointed at her, coughing into his sleeve with his other hand. A spot of blood was left behind. Perhaps he wasn't on the mend after all.

  “What surprises me about all this, is that he'd trust you with a group of goliaths after you attempted a rebellion,” Mia said.

  “He knows I'm an officer with pride in his homeland. I'd sooner die than see a foreign power on our soil, especially one that's cheating. It's not like my last name is Blutstein.”

  Mia tilted her head. “I'm sorry... what was that?”

  “It's a Ganex thing,” Greta said. “They're the family that ruled the Empire prior to the Hapsenbergs.”

  “They were also legendary for their duplicity and arrogance,” Claus added. “Good riddance to them.”

  Mia nodded, thinking of Christine, formerly a Blutstein according to Veronica. There had been a first name too, an odd one. What was it? She'd figure it out eventually.

  “The girl with me...” Mia asked.

  “Giselle Halett I'd guess,” Claus wheezed. “I'd recognize her beauty anywhere. Lovely girl.”

  “Yes well.. she's with child. Can you spirit her away from here? I need to go on and I'm not sure it's safe where I'm going and it's most definitely not safe here.”

  Claus nodded. “That is true.”

  “What is the plan here?” Greta asked. “I saw a lot of goliaths and veil tipped pikes. Are you actually trying to set up a defensive line?”

  Claus grumbled. “I'm not... the general of the armies is. It seems when you get rid of one detestable old fool, you're sure to be given another, only worse.”

  “Won't they just march around it?” Greta asked. “Goliaths are faster than horses, they can just move to your flanks.”

  “Don't you think I've told them? They don't even hear me,” Claus said. “That's not even taking into account the stories from Faustland... Oh I'm sorry, the republic now isn't it?”

  Mia shrugged.

  “I didn't see anything of it,” Greta said. “I only fought men in real goliaths but I heard about them.”

  “What? What did you hear?” Mia asked.

  “They have golden eyes like Aaron but they are the size of goliaths. More than that though... the knight I talked to, he said they moved like men.”

  “Yes... I've heard the same,” Claus said. “I spoke to three knights from Grauerwald. They're the last of their unit. All three couldn't stop talking about how they moved. There was no hesitation, no delay between the orders of the knight and the execution by the goliath, just... action and reaction. Fluid, deadly.”

  “Exactly,” Greta said. “It would be like fighting someone who can see the future.”

  Mia shook her head. “It's not that bad. There is only maybe a half-second of delay, maybe a full second when the knight is very new. The best goliath riders can make that far less. Marcus Halett was so in tune he had no perceptible delay,” Mia said.

  “Actually,” Claus sai
d, pausing to cough. “That reminds me... Mia, your friend is here.”

  Mia's eyebrows rose. “Who?”

  “Marian,” Claus replied.

  Marian. Before, when she'd appealed to the goliath's connection with Marcus in order to ride her, Mia hadn't remembered why the goliath had that name. Now she did.

  “Oh yes, she's here. I don't know where they had her but they brought her right out when I was hastily reinstated. Unfortunately, I'm unable to ride a goliath. I'm too weak for it. And I'm sure she won't accept anyone else. She's all yours.”

  “Thank you,” Mia said.

  “That leaves just one thing,” Claus said.

  “What's that?” Greta asked.

  “I ask you both... please stay and help us stop this army. Greta, even though your uncle is the emperor, I care only that you're one of the best knights in the army. Join me. Make them pay for coming here.”

  Greta smiled. “I've had no love for the empire or their policies, but having seen what's become of Faustland... I'll stay.”

  Claus looked to Mia.

  “I can't Claus... There's a little boy not far from here. I must go to him. It's been months since he's seen me. It's not right that I've left him so long.”

  “Does this boy have a caretaker?” Claus asked.

  Mia nodded. “Yes... I'm told she's very good... but...“

  “Please don't leave us now,” Claus said, “You're the best goliath knight I've seen and I've seen a great many. More important: you've stood up to that monster before.”

  “And lost Claus,” Mia said. “I nearly died.”

  “This time you'll have me behind you,” Greta said.

  “And me,” said a voice from the entrance to the tent.

  It was Sylvie De Voulon and behind her stood a man, tall dressed in black, like a witch hunter.

  “Good. Sylvie, Werner, I'm glad you could come.”

  Werner's eyes studied Mia intensely. “This is the one touched by the devil.” It was not a question.

  Claus nodded. “But she's not an enemy of us or of God.”

  “I'll be the judge of that for myself,” Werner said, folding his arms.

  “Look... I want to stay here and help,” Mia said. “I do... but...” Her gaze went to Sylvie who was very young to be a goliath knight. She looked like the kind of girl who ought to be preparing for a winter ball, not fighting a war. It made her think of Henri. He would not have wanted these people to suffer needlessly. He would have helped them.

  He would understand.

  I'll get to Adem, she thought. I promise Henri.

  “Alright,” Mia said. “I assume you have a plan.”

  Claus smiled, leaning in. “Indeed, I do.”

  Chapter 21

  "The two brigs have gone down against their frigate, then? That's what happens when you face off against a man-of-war, I suppose."

  -Arden Captain Jonathan Short, 1602

  “I see that Kev isn't with us,” Celia said as she walked through the snow down a long dark alley in lower Valendam.

  “I'd rather not involve the boy in this,” Vex said, from her arms. “He is young and this will be dangerous.”

  “You said you would show me how these inks work,” she said, pausing.

  “I did... I suppose we can do it now,” he replied. “Put me down and expose the flesh of your arms.”

  “I gave you three primary glyphs,” he said as she stood, taking off her cloak.

  It was funny, the cold didn't seem to bother her anymore. It almost felt like she was wearing thick sleeves of wool.

  “I don't feel cold,” she said.

  “That is the shi. It is in the center of your chest,” he replied.

  “That one radiates out from the center, its lines go everywhere... and I mean everywhere,” Celia said.

  “As it should,” Vex said. “It is the glyph of life, it imprints on you the ability to heal, to be more resilient to damage, both physical and otherwise. It also enhances your strength some, mostly as a consequence of the rest. This glyph is usually passive. It will do its work on its own until the lines around it go completely dark, then your power has ended.”

  “Forever?” she asked.

  “Until it is refilled by a wizard... or that powder if you can stomach it after what you've seen.”

  Celia shook her head, grimacing. “I'd rather not use the powder.”

  “Good,” he said. “On your left arm, there is the glyph etu. It is the symbol of darkness, moving unseen. It's a powerful obscuring spell that very few sorcerers can see through without specific defensive measures, to humans and most dierlijt, you will simply not exist.”

  Celia smiled. “I like this one.”

  “It is not for stealing. You will never need to steal again. We have a higher purpose,” he said.

  “Did I mention stealing?” Celia asked. “Because I feel like that was you.”

  Vex narrowed his tiny eyes. “Moving on, the glyph on your right arm is the esh, the glyph of speed. When you touch it, it feels as though time has stopped around you but it is not that time has slowed, it is that you have been given great spe-”

  Celia's eyes widened. “Really?” Immediately she touched the glyph on her right arm. Vex froze in the middle of his words. What was remarkable was that the light snow that had been falling around her paused also. It was like the whole world was suddenly stopped. She plucked a floating flake of snow from the air and watched it poof into a tiny cloud of vapor on her fingers.

  Then she walked over to Vex and squatted down in front of him, looking at his little toy face. He was still talking probably. She gave him a gentle push with a single finger. Instantly Vex flew against the wall of the alley and all around her, everything started again.

  Vex flopped from the wall onto his face in the snow. “That was... imprudent,” he said. “As I'm sure you've now seen, the effect of esh is removed as soon as you come in contact with something of sufficient size to dispel the effect.”

  “What is sufficient size?” she asked him.

  Vex shrugged, brushing himself off. “It's different for all. Depends on the quality of the ink and the amount of power you have left.... which reminds me, take a look at your right arm.”

  Celia did. The ink around the esh glyph had lost its sparkling nature, about a third of it.

  “That used a third?”

  “It's power-hungry, but I'm sure you realize, useful,” Vex replied.

  “Yeah... but I'll have to be super careful with it.”

  Vex nodded. “Precisely. I knew you were perfect for this.”

  “Is the... the other one,” she pointed to her left arm. “Is it as power-hungry?”

  “Not nearly so much, you'll have hours... but bear in mind if esh is dispelled, so too will the etu.”

  “This is complex,” Celia said.

  “You'll get the hang of it,” for now take me to that graveyard you mentioned.

  “Zorgvlied? It's not far,” she said.

  “And that's where you saw them?” Vex asked as she picked him up and put her cloak back on.

  “Oh yes... well... One of them. A young female one I think.”

  Vex nodded in her arms. She'd clutched him against her chest, a little too tightly maybe.

  “That's good. Where there is one, there will be others... To have young they must be doing well enough,” he said, wriggling a little in her arms.

  “The ghouls... What exactly are they? Are they people?” Celia asked. She sort of wished she had Giselle there, she would be able to recite stories about ghouls. However it wouldn't stop there, the girl would continue to talk and talk until Celia was ready to strangle her. No, it was better without her.

  “That's a complicated question. They're a mixture of several things, changed, pruned, and adjusted over time, to be what they are. I would not have thought they'd have adapted to this new society as well as they have,” Vex said.

  “What do you mean? How are things different?”

  “The
re are a lot fewer salaven now,” Vex replied.

  “Fewer?”

  Vex nodded. “Yes... Our cities were much larger with millions in them. Not the paltry few hundred thousand you have now.”

  Celia couldn't even imagine that. Millions of people? Where would they live? Underground? In the sky? How could they possibly be fed? There weren't enough cows in the fields or fish in the sea.

  “Sounds... unbelievable.”

  “I'm not surprised. If I were you. I probably wouldn't believe it either,” he said.

  They were approaching a crowd of black-clad humans. Puritans... Men at the forefront with women and children trailing behind like possessions. It wasn't the usual Tian day of worship, but that didn't mean they weren't heading to or returning from some kind of service. There was no amount of prayer and prostration that could satisfy the needs of some people.

  Celia found that Vex was shaking in her arms.

  “Could we... ah... avoid the... the crowd?” he asked.

  She paused at a dark corner of an alley long enough for the group to pass before she continued. It was fine with her if Vex had a distaste for people. So did she.

  Up ahead, the black iron gates of Zorgvlied cemetery loomed.

  “We're here,” she said.

  “Good... Where did you see it?” he asked.

  “Inside one of the mausoleums,” she replied, gesturing ahead. “I think maybe that one.”

  There were quite a few of them. As much of the land in this part of Valendam had been reclaimed from the sea via the use of interlocked dams, cemeteries here used mausoleums and vaults because digging down just meant a hole full of water. Actually that made her wonder.

  “Don't the ghouls eat human flesh?” she asked.

  “Usually corpses, they were made for that purpose primarily. In my time, when you had so many in one place, that meant a lot of dead as well.”

  “I get that... I just don't understand why they're here.”

  “There must be food for them,” Vex replied. “Perhaps the Veil Company has been dumping corpses in the mausoleums.”

  Celia felt a wave of nausea wash over her as the experience in the powder facility returned to her. The hot feeling in her chest from exposure to the spirit... she could almost feel it. “Please tell me we get to go back there and finish them.”