Champion of the Gods Box Set

by Andrew Q. Gordon

  He’d practiced for the ceremony for weeks so when it happened, he walked through it without thinking. When everyone had said their part and waited for Farrell and Miceral to excuse them. They no doubt saw his smile as relief that the ceremony was over.

  “Before we begin the celebration, we have one more announcement.” He moved closer to Miceral. “As emperors, we can’t be ruler of any one kingdom. Zargon is a kingdom in name only, and we plan to give that to Bren to rule when he’s of age. That leaves only Trellham. Father Aswick, would you attend me?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Aswick barely contained his smirk. “How may the temple assist you?”

  “Is it still your position that Trellham needs a king in residence?”

  “More now than ever, Your Majesty.”

  Farrell nodded. “As you know, Miceral and I have a new responsibility. We do not believe we can carry out the duties of king. We are both needed to rule the new empire.”

  “That is not acceptable, Your Majesty,” Aswick said. “Trellham needs to see its king.”

  “I agree,” Farrell said. “Brothers, can I ask your help?”

  “Of course,” Drendar said as he and Thrinton walked over to them.

  “Miceral and I can no longer carry out the duties of kings of Trellham. Is there any precedent for such a situation?”

  “None, Your Majesty,” Thrinton said. “Nor is there any guidance on what to do when co-emperors are appointed.”

  “Do our wise and experienced brothers have any suggestions?” Farrell struggled to hold in a laugh.

  Drendar rubbed his chin and ran his fingers through his beard before speaking. “If either Fracturn or Colograd were without a king or a clear heir, the emperors would select our replacement. I suggest you do the same with Trellham.”

  “Do you agree, King Thrinton?”

  “I am in full agreement with my brother’s suggestion.”

  “And what of the temples?” Farrell asked, turning to Aswick.

  “So long as it’s a wise choice, the temples will support the new king.” Aswick tapped his crozier for emphasis.

  “Excellent.” Farrell motioned for a servant to bring over his crown.

  He turned his back to Jagwin and winked at the others. Lifting the crown off the velvet cushion, he handed it to Father Aswick and faced Jagwin. “Miceral and I appoint Jagwin the new King of Trellham.”

  For the first time since he’d met his onetime captain, Jagwin looked stunned. Aswick stepped forward and placed the crown on Jagwin’s head. “As high priest of Khron for Trellham, I appoint you and your future heirs the new king of Trellham.”

  Farrell smiled and gave his friend a nod. “Choose your captain of the guard well, Brother. They will shadow you every step of your life from now on.”

  Jagwin glared at Farrell, but a cheer went up. Drendar and Thrinton moved to his side and thumped him on the back.

  Farrell stepped back and reached for Miceral’s hand. “Now the celebration may begin!”

  Epilogue

  The humidity wore on Farrell’s already frayed nerves. He’d wanted to deal with his grandmother, Valara, right after his coronation, but hadn’t. Heldin and the pirate princes of the Northern Free Cities had made sure he hadn’t acted sooner. Now she’d entrenched herself in this Six-forsaken place. Another reason to dislike the lot of them.

  He tried to break out of those thoughts by checking if his forces were ready. Seeing what they faced had him back to the verge of cursing Heldin and the others. Instead, he stayed positive and said a prayer of thanks for Drendar.

  The cagey old dwarf upended every notion Farrell had of Fracturn’s king—ex-king now. If anyone else knew he planned to abdicate once Jagwin settled in as king of Trellham, no one admitted it. After he crowned his son Drendres king, Drendar presented himself to Miceral and Farrell as an advisor. Farrell thought it had been a ploy to get something Drendar wanted. It turned out to be a blessing.

  On advice of Rothdin and Nerti, Farrell and Miceral created a new position for Drendar. As chancellor of the empire, Drendar spoke with the emperors’ voice whenever Farrell and Miceral were absent. The old dwarf hadn’t expected such authority, and his already-fierce loyalty to the pair increased.

  After the other world leaders had left Ardus, Heldin complained about the heavy-handed way Meglar’s son had fulfilled his father’s dream. Those who knew Farrell didn’t listen, but there were enough dissatisfied nobles who secretly nodded their agreement. Drendar had led the army into Pelipan that forced Heldin to step down. His diplomacy consisted of patting the head of his war hammer and giving his foe ten minutes to surrender or be crushed. Having several siege engines loaded and ready helped. Then he had Heminaltose and Sanduval step forward to show he had magical superiority as well. Heldin had surrendered without an arrow being fired.

  Next, Farrell and Miceral received word pirate activity had resumed. They had hoped the destruction of the fleets at Tilerstig and Dumbarten would put an end to the plundering of merchant vessels. For a time it had, but only for a few months. Using the Eye, Farrell learned the princes had withheld a number of “damaged” vessels from Meglar. When the specter of conscription had passed, these vessels became seaworthy in quick order.

  Rather than track down the individual ships, Farrell and Miceral had followed Drendar’s suggestion to bring the Free Cities into the empire. Their armies appeared out of the air in front of Kelse, Realth, Tabrum, and Spagrom. Zenora, Heminaltose, and Sanduval accompanied the expeditions to the first three cities, and Farrell paid a visit to Draneth of Spagrom. They borrowed extra ships from Tilerstig and Dumbarten and blocked the cities from land and sea. Only Draneth refused to surrender.

  Farrell enjoyed tearing down Spagrom’s walls. He ignored the request for parlay until he reduced the entire structure to rubble. Then he ordered Draneth to appear before him or he’d destroy the palace next. Seeing the man cower made up for what had happened to Hendris.

  With the surrender of the other four cities, the empire’s forces converged on Glaston. Prince Hugen was not a pirate like the other four, but he was not entirely trustworthy. He’d turned a blind eye to illegal activity and allowed his fellow princes the use of his port for their ships. Unlike the others, Farrell and Miceral offered to let Hugen remain in power if he surrendered. Under the shadow of the empire’s full might, he accepted.

  That left Farrell and Miceral with what to do with the cities. Without constant oversight, they’d revert to their old ways. Markus provided them with a solution. No one was more surprised than Emerson when Markus suggested he be given rule over the area.

  “The sea is in Emerson’s blood, and he’s been groomed to rule,” Markus had said. “You trust him and he’s an able commander. It seems ready-made.”

  And it was. The investiture of Emerson as king of the newly created Kingdom of Tehbra forced piracy into the shadows. It gave the merchants a measure of confidence and brought peace to the last lawless area of Ardus. It also removed Farrell’s last excuse for not pursing his grandmother.

  Despite his desire to blame Heldin or Draneth, Farrell knew he’d caused the delay himself. He dreaded what he had to do next. Valara’s compound had been built underground in the tropical jungles south of Colograd. There were three side exits in addition to the main entrance. She’d invested heavily to hide her sanctuary and did her best to keep out of Farrell’s thoughts. She also had his half brother.

  He kept the Eye out and shared the images with his commanders. Breaching the fortress would be easy. Getting to his grandmother before she fled would not. The compound was vast, and its narrow hallways restricted the flow of soldiers. More than enough time for her to open a Door and leave.

  Three armies stood ready at the secondary gates. Cendreth and Barett led the force to the east, Miceral and Heminaltose were stationed south, and Thrinton and Sanduval guarded the west. They’d attack at the same time as Farrell. Every bit of intelligence he’d gleaned from the Eye showed Valara had only a few
master wizards left in her numbers. There were numerous magical defenses, but he scouted them with Honorus’s Gift. His friends and their supporting wizards easily could neutralize them.

  Farrell faced the heads of the six temples. “Is everyone ready?”

  “Ours is the easy part, Chosen,” Father Lingum said. “Let us know when you are ready.”

  It took an effort not to say he’d never be ready. He’d delayed this day almost two years and had run out of reasons. Farrell pulled his staff off his back and nodded. “It’s time to end this.”

  The others moved into formation behind him. Gedrin placed his hand on Farrell’s left shoulder, and Grenda put her horn on his right. Farrell didn’t check but knew the other four clerics joined the connection. When he felt something flow from the six, he raised his staff and slammed it into the dirt.

  With his wizard’s sight, Farrell saw the magic spread out and sink into the ground. He shifted his vision to see if the divine part of the spell had worked. It was hard to see, but he detected enough to know it had deployed. He wondered if Valara knew what he’d done.

  Farrell paused before breaking open the underground citadel. Having all six first prelates together made him uneasy. He’d tried several times to convince them to stay above ground, but they unanimously insisted they had to accompany him. Hearing that didn’t fill him with confidence.

  At Farrell’s request, Mother Burcia brought three companies of Arlefors to help guard the clerics. Each temple supplied their chief wizard, and Farrell asked Lingum to bring as many temple mages as he could spare. None of it made Farrell less apprehensive.

  Realizing it was out of his hands, Farrell tapped his staff again. Three balls of energy sped east, west, and south. They’d mark the exits once Farrell began his attack.

  Out of reasons to delay, Farrell let loose the spell he’d held ready. Dirt flew everywhere as he punched a hole into the warren of tunnels. He’d instructed his troops not to solicit or accept any offers to surrender. These were Neldin’s most fanatical followers. He could never trust them. They would also die rather than risk upsetting their god.

  Farrell couldn’t remember much about the hour that followed. They made steady progress toward their goal, and he kept a sharp focus on protecting his important companions. Nothing was too small to overlook as they moved deeper into Valara’s sanctuary. Finally he stood before his goal.

  The corridor ended at a blank wall. He hadn’t expected the move, but it wouldn’t stop him. Using the Eye, he showed the others what he already knew. His grandmother had returned the tunnel to its natural rock state. A few feet beyond, she and the last of her followers waited in a large open room. Irate, Valara flung her arms and screamed at anyone close to her. It reminded him why he didn’t want to be there.

  He put his staff on his back and extended his left arm to the side. The rock melted away, expanding the space around him. He repeated the move to the right. Behind him, the other wizards mimicked his efforts, and they created an open staging area for the last push.

  Magic permeated the rock face in front of him. He retrieved his staff, intending to blast their way in, but Burcia put her hand on his shoulder.

  “You cannot breach this defense alone.” She reached over him and put her hand on his staff.

  The other prelates joined their sister and made contact with him. Farrell shifted his vision and saw the faint divine presence in the stone. He heard the prayers, and their energy filled him.

  “On two,” he said.

  Gathering the power around the end of his staff, he counted and released it in one large burst. The energy had a rainbow hue he hadn’t intended. It spread across the rock face and sank into the stone.

  Farrell waited, hoping his spell worked. They’d practiced the spell above ground and tested it against other Doors created by clerics. No one anticipated the need to try working together to dissolve rocks.

  Someone walked in front of him. At least he thought he saw movement. The rock hadn’t changed, so he couldn’t have seen—

  “There!” Gedrin said in a loud whisper. “The rock looks like paper held up to the sun.”

  Farrell stared more closely and understood what he’d seen. The spell had worked, only slower than he expected.

  “You can’t come with us,” Jolella said as she moved in front of him. “This is a temple matter.”

  “What?” He took a moment to process what she’d said. “Of course I’m going in there.”

  “No, Chosen, you can’t,” Gedrin repeated Jolella’s prohibition. “You are the Chosen of all Six and Their Champion. Valara knows she lost, but she can harm you on her way down.”

  “If she can hurt me, then you six are in even more danger.”

  “Not so, Chosen,” Grenda said. “She will try to curse you before she dies.”

  “She’ll try to curse you as well.”

  “That may be, but we are replaceable. You are not.” Father Aswick moved toward the slowly fading stone. “It is not clear her curse could affect you or us given our status, but you are too important to risk.”

  “So this is why you six insisted on coming with me?”

  Lingum snorted. “You make it sound like it was our decision alone. Each of us was directed to be here and to prevent you from confronting Valara. Trust this is the right course.”

  “But my brother . . . I need to be there.”

  “One of us will make sure he is safe,” Jolella said. “You have my promise.”

  A figure inside the room moved closer to the wall. Farrell grabbed Jolella’s hand and extended his personal shield.

  “What?” She looked where Farrell was staring as the wall disappeared.

  The figure fired a burst of energy at them, but it washed harmlessly against his shield.

  “I’m going with you.” He moved forward, but before he finished his first step, Burcia seized his arm.

  “We have wizards and soldiers from the temples,” she said. “We can defend ourselves.”

  “Stay here, Farrell,” Lingum said. “This is that important.”

  Wizard priests in the blue robes of Falcron surged forward. They blanketed the area with multiple attacks. Soldiers in the colors of all six temples followed behind the mages. Father Gedrin adjusted his robe and walked into the battle with his staff held in front of him. The other five clerics followed his lead.

  Farrell chafed as the fight wore on. Every time Farrell thought to join the fray, he heard Lingum’s warning and remained outside. He started and stopped several times, causing the guards to flinch each time. A brilliant flash brought the fighting to an end.

  As the seconds passed, Farrell grew more anxious. Finally he couldn’t keep still. Halfway to the opening, he stopped in his tracks. Jolella approached him, leading a boy who looked about three.

  “Velderan.” She knelt and got at the boy’s level. “This is your brother, Halloran. He’s going to take good care of you.”

  Appendix

  Gods of Nendor

  Arritisa—Goddess of the Sea.

  Falcron—God of Wisdom. He and His Sister, Seritia, are sometimes referred to as the “The Twins.”

  Honorus—Eldest and king of the gods. Often referred to as the Sky Father and Lord of the Sky. The patron god of the peregrines.

  Khron—God of War. Closely associated with dwarves.

  Lenore—Goddess of the Earth. Often referred to as the Mother of Us All. Closely associated with Honorus. The patron goddess of unicorns and Muchari.

  Neldin—God of the Underworld. Sometimes referred to as the God of Death or God of Evil. Ruler of Neblor, the netherworld where His worshippers go after death.

  Seritia—Goddess of Love. She and Her Brother, Falcron, are sometimes referred to as “The Twins.”

  Beings of Nendor

  Arlefors:

  Adres—Son of Argus. Military officer in Rastoria’s army.

  Argus—Lord of the Western March of Rastoria. Military commander of Rastoria’s armies.

 
; Burcia—High Priestess of Arritisa in Rastoria. First prelate for Arritisa. Sister of King Clayden.

  Clayden—King of Rastoria. Brother of Mother Burcia.

  Mesner—Temple guard in Rastoria.

  Teberus—Chief wizard of Rastoria.

  Vinod—Soldier sent to help Farrell capture the Intrepid. Can tell if people are being honest or lying.

  Dwarves:

  Aleem—General in command of Trellham’s armies.

  Aswick—High Priest to Khron in Trellham. First prelate of Khron. The only being living in Trellham before Farrell unsealed the city.

  Dondred—Younger son of Drendar. Led Fracturn’s army sent to aid the Free Cities of the West.

  Drendar—King of Fracturn.

  Drendres—Son of Drendar and heir to the throne of Fracturn.

  Fridoa—High Priestess of Arritisa for Trellham.

  Ganfin—Prince of Colograd and younger brother of King Thrinton. Led Colograd’s troops that came to the aid of the Free Cities of the West.

  Greigel—Lieutenant and second in command of the Trellham Royal Guards.

  Kwend—General of Colograd.

  Lamenar—High priest of Khron for Fracturn.

  Mendox—High priest of Falcron in Colograd.

  Odis—High priest of Honorus for Trellham.

  Thrinton—King of Colograd.

  Trelb—First minister of ancient Trellham. Leader of the survivors of Trellham from the first war between the gods.

  Vregar—Officer in the Royal Trellham Guard. Third in command.

  Wasquar—High priest of Khron in Colograd.

  Yelsma—High priestess for Seritia at Trellham.

  Humans:

  Aderic—Master wizard. Captain of the wizard constables of Belsport.

  Albert—Crown prince of Honal. Kerstand’s oldest brother.

  Aldor—Prince of Nagden.