Champion of the Gods Box Set

by Andrew Q. Gordon

  “I agree,” Nerti said. “If everything is back to normal, I would like to return to my quarters.”

  There was a hidden message in her words, but Farrell didn’t understand. He tried to make eye contact, but she avoided looking at him. “I left the Door open.”

  “There is no lasting harm to either child,” Heather said. “I’ll check them both again tomorrow to be sure.”

  As Heather spoke, the peregrines and unicorns moved as one toward the open portal. They disappeared without a word.

  “That was strange,” Miceral said.

  Farrell nodded. “It was. It probably has to do with killing the priestess.”

  He didn’t believe that, but it seemed to satisfy the others. Whatever the reason, he knew they’d tell him soon.

  Chapter Two

  Farrell disliked leaving the children with the healers, but Nerti had insisted he meet her in Trellham. That Miceral stayed with Geena and Bren and would let him know of any problems only partially helped. Events pulled him in different directions and left him stretched thin and uneasy.

  The assurance from Rothdin and the others that they’d severed the only link to Bren didn’t change his concern. If something survived that long, it would report back to Meglar. No, it almost certainly had reported back to his father. Something he could have prevented had he checked for enemies.

  They had stopped to get Kel at Nerti’s request and now walked in silence. His short answers to his grandfather’s questions truncated the conversation. Even the normally gregarious Greigel kept quiet.

  No one could explain how a being from Neblor could connect a priestess to his son. Until yesterday, Farrell had believed Neldin’s creatures had all died after the first war. His fight with the harpies ought to have been proof enough that some had survived.

  “Lieutenant Greigel.” Kel’s voice snapped Farrell from his thoughts. “Stop here for a moment.”

  Greigel called the guards to a halt, and Farrell searched his grandfather’s face for a reason. Kel frowned and tapped his staff hard on the stone floor.

  “You must stop this, Farrell.”

  “Stop what? I’m—”

  “You’re chastising yourself for allowing a creature of Neblor to escape your notice.”

  “I . . .” He checked his mental guards to make sure Kel hadn’t been reading his thoughts. “How did you—”

  Kel closed his eyes, exhaled, and opened them. “In the short time I’ve known you, I’ve learned what you are like. You are also not the first great wizard who blames themselves for every evil they fail to prevent.”

  “This is different. This being hid right under my boots and I didn’t see it.”

  “And neither did I, nor your mother, Heminaltose, or Sanduval.” Kel put his hand on Farrell’s shoulder. “You are a wizard, not a god. When even the Six have made mistakes, how can we expect to be better?”

  Kel’s logic was sound, but it didn’t erase the image of his children suffering. “I understand, but I still need to be more careful.”

  “We must all strive to do better, Farrell.” He squeezed Farrell’s shoulder and let go. “But you also need to accept you will fail sometimes.”

  “I know I’ll fail, but I don’t like it.”

  Kel laughed softly and motioned for the guards to start walking. “No one likes it, but what’s important is you don’t dwell on it. That will sap your attention from more important things, like preventing a reoccurrence of what happened last night.”

  “How do you stop it when we can’t even tell it’s there?” After his grandfather’s lecture, he hadn’t meant to sound so defeated.

  “Did it hide from us?” Kel asked. “Trellham has been empty for three thousand years. Demons consume living creatures for sustenance. Even it could not survive that long without feeding.”

  “Which means it snuck into Trellham without our noticing it.” How many others were there they didn’t know about?

  “Agreed,” Kel said. “But it is not as bad as you think.”

  “Really? If these creatures can enter the city without being noticed, that sounds like a big problem to me.”

  “Were able and was a problem.”

  “What?” He’d been on edge since Geena’s nightmare, and Kel’s flippant attitude pushed him over the edge. “That makes no sense.”

  “Doesn’t it? You can determine if there are any more in the city, and once we’re sure the city is free, we can bar any future incursion.”

  “I can do that?”

  Kel sighed. “You have the Eye of Honorus.”

  “I have . . .” Farrell came to a halt, and the guards nearly trampled him from behind. “I have the Eye.”

  “And I know a spell to keep them out.” Kel motioned for Farrell to keep walking. “As I said, this won’t be a problem.”

  Farrell nodded. Unfortunately, it might already be too late.

  Farrell’s private rooms in Trellham were many times larger than his suite in Haven, but they felt small with so many beings assembled. Rothdin believed the creature had used Tixel’s attack to enter the palace. Once inside, it hid and waited to find a suitable target.

  Having failed to detect the danger in his home, Farrell wanted to swim to the bottom of the ocean and hide. Not finding a creature of Neblor in his children’s rooms was unforgiveable.

  “From our brief contact with the priestess, we know she used the creature to gain access to Bren,” Rothdin said. “We also believe it is still in Trellham waiting for new instructions.”

  “Speculation or did you glean something from her mind?” Kel asked.

  “Some of both,” Klissmor said. “Something prevented the creature from entering Haven, and that irritated the priestess. Bren was too little to be useful and her attempts to get to Geena were thwarted. I saw glimpses of Urana, Teless, and Lisle and more frustration.”

  “I put wards around them because they were working with Geena.” Farrell wished he’d thought to do the same with Bren. “What I want to know is why I couldn’t feel its presence?”

  “The spawn of Neblor who avoided our purge after the war became adept at hiding,” Kel said. “It takes a very focused approach to root them out. Or an Eye.”

  The explanation should have salved his guilt, but Farrell wasn’t in the mood for absolution. He dug into his pocket and retrieved the Eye. “I don’t want this creature around. What do we do when we find it?”

  “We kill it.” Kel’s lack of remorse mirrored Farrell’s mindset.

  “Exactly,” Rothdin said, matching Kel’s tone. “It cannot be allowed to leave.”

  Farrell almost asked the Eye to show him all the creatures of Neblor inside Trellham, but the thought there could be more than one unnerved him. Better to get the one they knew and then check for others.

  His blurry visions swirled around for a moment before it focused on a small speck of black in the corner of a room. Farrell’s stomach flipped as he realized the creature could be watching them. He relaxed when he saw it hid in a common area of the palace.

  Unable to resist, he asked to see any other creatures from Neblor in Trellham and almost dropped the Eye. He tightened his mental voice to be certain there would be nothing to overhear.

  “The creature we’re after is in the vestibule to the throne room.” He kept his voice steady. “But there is another one in the corner behind Father.”

  Kel’s face gave away nothing. “Where in the corner? Top, middle, or bottom, and how large a space is it occupying?”

  It took every erg of control not to glance in the direction of the creature. “Bottom. The size of an egg.”

  “Come,” Kel said, his voice startling Farrell. “Our target is in the armory.”

  Kel took a step toward the door. When he cleared Rothdin’s body, he spun around faster than Farrell thought possible. The red jewel on his staff pulsed even before he aimed it toward the corner. At the same time, a stream of blackness shot from the corner toward everyone. It slammed into Kel’s burst of r
ed energy.

  The crimson fire burned the darkness and pushed it back toward the wall. When Kel’s magic reached the corner, a small popping noise ended the fight. Kel stared at the creature’s hiding place.

  “I detected nothing.” Kel turned to the others. “Did anyone hear it send a message?”

  “I heard nothing,” Klissmor said.

  “Good. Let’s hope the other one didn’t feel this one’s death.”

  “How . . .?” Farrell let the question drop. No one knew how it got there, and Kel had already explained they were adept at hiding.

  “Did the Eye show you more than this one and the other?” Kel asked.

  “No, but I stopped looking when I saw that one.” Farrell raised the Eye, but Kel stayed his arm.

  “Look on the way to the other. We’re going to seal the city and hunt them down.”

  Before Kel closed Trellham to the world, Farrell summoned his mother and Heminaltose. Kel chafed at the delay, but Farrell used the Eye to keep tabs on the four other creatures hiding in the city.

  “Four?” Zenora asked. “I didn’t think that many still were left on Neblor.”

  “They don’t breed like humans or other beings,” Kel said. “They multiply by taking living, intelligent hosts. Likely the one has picked off lone dwarves since they returned to Trellham.”

  “I’ve not been told of any unexplained disappearances.” He also hadn’t been paying too much attention to Trellham’s needs, either.

  Kel shook his head. “I doubt you would. These demons are highly intelligent. If they chose their targets with care, no one would notice. With all the dwarves who died in the war, it would be hard to keep track of everyone who returned from the void.”

  Father Aswick had chided Farrell for neglecting Trellham. Though he hadn’t meant magically, this proved the priest’s fears had been valid. He hadn’t taken the time to seal the city like he had Haven. Nor did he bother to check for any lingering threats. He’d correct that before he and Kel left for wherever they were going.

  The four dark beings of Neblor had scattered to different parts of the city. Kel taught each of the wizards one spell to find the creatures and a second one to destroy to them. To facilitate communications, the peregrines and unicorns split up.

  Farrell walked beside Nerti, taking comfort in her strong presence. If she was as anxious as him, she didn’t show it. She’d experienced so many dangerous things in her life, why would this concern her?

  The tunnels in the outer part of the city where Farrell and Nerti hunted were lower than in the main areas. Farrell dismounted after the third time he had to duck to avoid banging his head. He strengthened his shield and led them toward the target.

  “The creature might be intelligent, but it isn’t very smart.” Farrell made sure his mental voice didn’t leak. The creature might sense them coming, but he didn’t need to let it hear his thoughts. “Once we enter the next corridor, we’ll cut off its only avenue of escape.”

  “It no doubt trusts it is able to hide from us. Didn’t Kel say they could detect the spell used to find them?”

  “He did.” Which reminded him he needed to make sure the four hadn’t moved.

  They arrived at the tunnel that emptied into the one they were using. It was the only way in or out of the small warren of tunnels that marked the edge of the city’s limits. He extended his shield to block the three approaches to their position. Nothing in, nothing out.

  He summoned the Eye in his pocket and ran his fingers along the smooth facets of the jewel. It only took a moment to check on the other three. Once he confirmed their locations, Nerti relayed the information to the other wizards.

  He directed the Eye to show him the creature they tracked. The cloudy image appeared superimposed over his normal vision. It was standing now, looking straight ahead, almost like it was staring at him. He disengaged with Honorus’s Gift and peered into the darkness. Something moved, and he jumped back when he realized the demon stood inches from the other side of the shield.

  “Back!” He leveled his staff at the motionless figure.

  Rather than retreat, the creature held up both hands. “Hello, Champion.”

  The greeting put Farrell back on his heels. He recovered and immediately strengthened his shield. “It’s a trap!” he sent Nerti.

  She didn’t answer but moved nearer. That allowed him to bring his shield closer and strengthen it.

  “What do you want, demon?”

  “I bear a message.” The voice had an alien quality. It sounded forced, as if the speaker didn’t talk often.

  Farrell readied the spell Kel had taught him. “I have no need of a message from anyone you know.”

  “The Holy Father Neldin sends His regards.” The creature’s face twisted into what Farrell assumed passed for a smile.

  Before it could speak again, Farrell released the spell. The energy hung in the air between his staff and the shield. Panic froze him for an instant. He’d seen spells deflected, blocked, and dismissed, but never stopped like this. If the demons from Neblor could do this, they might be unstoppable.

  “Nerti, you need to get away. I’m not sure I can protect you.” He kept his attention on the creature, but it hadn’t moved. After a moment he realized he hadn’t gotten a response. “Nerti, did you hear me?”

  He glanced over, and she was still as his spell. Flicking his fingers in front of her eyes elicited no reaction. Farrell swept his gaze around the confined space. Nothing stirred.

  At least the creature hadn’t found a way to stop his attack.

  “What a vile thing to do to my messenger, Halloran.” Farrell jumped and turned toward the voice. Neldin smiled and walked through Farrell’s shield. “But then we both know you’re not a nice person.”

  His fear abated once he understood what had happened to his spell. Neldin was far more dangerous than one of His underlings, but He hadn’t come to harm Farrell.

  “I wasn’t trying to be nice. We’re enemies. It attacked my dwarves. I’m protecting them.” He met Neldin’s gaze. “And only You think I’m evil like You. Everyone else disagrees.”

  The smirk faltered a hair, but only for an instant. “As you say, but they are hardly objective.”

  “Are you done?”

  “You dare much with your insolence.” All hint of humor left Neldin, and his fair features turned darker and more sinister. “I could swat you like a bug and think nothing of it.”

  “I follow the Six. I don’t want to speak to You.”

  “You, little being, do not get to choose.” Neldin grew until he nearly hit the roof of the cavern. “I am a god. I make the rules.”

  As Champion of the Six, Farrell had a measure of protection. If nothing else, Neldin couldn’t kill Farrell without giving the Six the chance to strike back. Small comfort if he was dead, but if Neldin had wanted him dead, it would have happened by now.

  “You are a god, not the god. The others have a say in things.”

  “So confident and yet, where are these devoted masters of yours to defend you?” His sneer returned. “You still cling to the belief They care about you. So foolish.”

  “Foolish would be listening to Your poisonous words. If You kill me, so be it.”

  Provoking Neldin hadn’t been his intent, but he might die fighting Meglar anyway. This way at least meant his friends and family would survive. Farrell braced himself for a blow, but Neldin snorted and shook his head.

  “Did you really think that would work?”

  Farrell shrugged. “It was worth the try.”

  Neldin laughed loudly. “I shall enjoy having you serve Me. Your spirit is worthy of your place.” He snapped his fingers and was gone.

  Farrell’s killing spell moved again while he kept his attention on where Neldin had been. He didn’t see the blow connect, but the creature exploded. Black bits of something hit his shield and burned away on contact.

  “You killed it.” Nerti’s voice surprised him.

  “Wasn’t that
the point?” With the creature dead he didn’t care if anyone heard him.

  “He said he had a message from Neldin.”

  “Neldin spoke to me.” He searched the area for any sign of the creature. “Let’s go find the others and I’ll explain.”

  Recounting his meeting with Neldin left Farrell frustrated. He hadn’t expected anyone would know what Neldin really wanted, but no one had anything useful to add, not even Nerti or Rothdin. His irritation faded when they discussed the other three demons.

  “They exploded right about the time you killed yours,” Heminaltose said. “Were they all connected?”

  Everyone looked toward Kel. “During the first war we learned demons replicated themselves using captured dwarves or humans. A few, however, created mindless copies that they controlled.”

  “That sounds eerily similar to Chamdon,” Zenora said.

  Kel nodded. “Indeed, with one difference. Velchuck noticed a demon who appeared to be directing the fight. Assuming this was a general, he targeted the creature. When it died, so did the entire legion our troops were fighting. They just burst apart, just like their leader. Eventually we determined that demons could reproduce or copy themselves. If they did the later, the new demons were linked to their creator. Kill it and the copies would die as well.

  “We didn’t encounter widespread use of this tactic, so our knowledge of how it works is limited.” Kel stroked his chin and when his fingers met, he pressed them to his lips. He didn’t speak for a few seconds, then exhaled and let his hand drop. “I’m not sure what to make of this.”

  “Make of what?” Klissmor asked. “Your explanation is consistent with our experience.”

  “No, not that part.” Kel turned to look at Farrell. “Neldin sent this demon to find you, to draw you off so He could speak to you. This would be like Honorus sacrificing Sanduval to speak to Meglar.”

  Farrell hadn’t made that connection, but like Kel, he didn’t understand the significance. Throwing away a valuable asset for no purpose didn’t make sense.