The Game of the Gods

by C G Gaudet

  It even smells like happiness, with pink flower petals floating through the air. It’s nothing like the vague hint of human waste and mildew you find everywhere on the streets of Vassraly.

  “I hate this place,” I say. “Take us back.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  White Knight

  A lone woman stops as she walks past. Her golden hair flows down her back in perfect waves, framing her round face and wide body. Not that she’s fat, I just wouldn’t want to take her on in an arm-wrestling competition, even with my god-given talents. Everything about her screams power, from her size to the way she holds herself as she walks, like nothing in the world could bother her.

  I don’t need to see the symbols above her head to know she’s a champion, though they appear when I focus, just as I suspect.

  Talie – Champion of Regine

  Level 3 White Knight

  Abilities

  Magic: Heal

  Magic: Bless

  Action: Shield

  I can’t believe he’s just told me about how strong these people are and brought us right to one. I just woke up; I don’t want to fight right now.

  “Excuse me?”

  She calls out in a lovely tone that sounds as though it rings in perfect harmony with all the other noises in the world, and it makes me want to be sick. I hug the pillow to my chest and consider drawing it on the champion, but decide to stick with comfort over ivory, at least for now. Maybe it’s the memory of what happened to my home the first time I fought a champion that makes me reconsider fighting in such a public space. Or maybe it’s the yawn I’m fighting back. Either way, I’m not quite ready to be the one to make the first move.

  “You,” Talie says as she quickens her steps to approach. “Yes, you two.”

  I sense Willow deflate as she too realizes what we’ve been pulled into. If Jameson notices anything’s wrong, he keeps it to himself while wearing a pleasant but bland expression that could mean anything. I don’t need to look to know Kesarre has poofed off to wherever he normally hides, leaving us to deal with this mess on our own.

  “Aren’t you cold?”

  I tighten my hand on my pillow and wait. She’s going to say something else. She has to. There’s no way a champion of an enemy god would rush over here just to ask if we’re cold. Even if it is a legitimate question given what Willow and I are wearing. I probably should feel shyer since we’re wearing undergarments out in the middle of a city with dozens of people walking by, but for some reason, I don’t care. Willow only then seems to realize what she’s wearing and attempts to cover herself with her arms to no avail. Her face goes splotchy with embarrassment.

  “I thought so,” Talie says with a satisfied nod. “Come with me. I’ll get you some proper clothes and a warm meal if you’ll have it. The food’s never grand, but it fills the belly and should give enough energy to get you through another day.”

  Somewhere in the back of my mind Kesarre’s whisper of ‘Told you’ echoes along with a self-satisfied chuckle.

  ‘Don’t celebrate too soon,’ I think back at him. ‘She’s likely using our clothes as an excuse to get us into a location where it’s harder for us to run away so she can kill us all.’

  There’s no answer, which is worse than if he taunted my lack of trust. At least then I’d have something to work with to argue further. Instead, I’m forced to listen to this girl blather on about how it’s such a shame there are still people in the world who struggle to find food to eat every day. Everyone should at least have food, warm clothes and a bed to sleep on. Blah blah blah.

  “Do you have anywhere safe to rest?”

  She won’t stop talking. I may draw my scythe yet just to shut her up, except she has her back to me and a swell of ugly feeling makes me hesitant to stab a person in the back. It doesn’t feel honourable, though I’ve never considered myself an honorable person before. I think this town must be rubbing off on me already. There’s probably mind control magic in the air making me so docile.

  “There aren’t a lot of beds,” Talie continues, “but what we have you’re welcome to share.”

  It’s then as she gestures toward an open door through which I see a half dozen small mattresses laid out along the marble floor that I realize she’s led us inside a building without me noticing. Not any building, but the enormous cathedral Kesarre pointed out to us when we arrived. She walked us into enemy territory and our certain death without us saying a word of protest. In fact, both Jameson and Willow are beaming as they take in the huge columns that reach up to the intricately painted arched ceilings. I don’t know how someone got up so high to paint the huge illustrations of gods and mortals battling against horrific looking creatures I can’t name. The experience couldn’t have been pleasant, though I must admit the finished product was quite impressive.

  Impressive in a we’re-all-going-to-die-beneath-these-painted-behemoths-and-the-others-don’t-seem-to-care sort of way.

  “And here we are.” Talie stops next to several crates spilling over with clothes of every variety. I reach for a bit of deep blue linen before firmly dropping my hand to my side. “Take anything you like. We have more than we could ever find homes for. The followers of Regine are quite generous.”

  The other two have already dived into the piles, tossing every sort of clothing onto the floors behind them as they search for something worth wearing. Though I can’t say I understand their taste. They’re tossing perfectly pleasant looking items along with more questionable choices.

  “What’s the catch?” I force myself to study Talie, even through the distraction of the flying fabric all around us. This must be part of a plot to destroy us, I just can’t figure out what her plan might be.

  She blinks at me with an all too innocent stare. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “Are the clothes full of the plague?” I ask. “By wearing them, do we become your slaves? Are they itchy? What is it? What happens when we take these clothes?”

  “You become warmer?” Talie’s eyes alight at her own joke but at least she has the decency not to chuckle. No wait, there it is. I roll my eyes which she takes as a sign to straighten her face into a partial smile rather than the full toothy grin she was wearing. “I honestly don’t understand what you’re asking me. We have clothes to give to those in need and you are clearly in need. There’s no ‘catch’ as you say.”

  “Look, Jenny.” Willow holds up a dark tunic with a matching set of trousers. They’re simple, but the fabric looks thick and comfortable. There even look to be patches of leather at the thighs and chest that could offer a bit of protection in a fight. “They’re child size, so they might actually fit you.”

  Any interest I might have had in the clothes is gone. I knock her hand away and turn back to Talie. Child sized. Pffha!

  “You’re a champion of Regine,” I say. “You must be able to see that we’re also champions of Kesarre, and you must know that as champions, we’re expected to fight for our god’s honor and rank. You can’t expect me to believe you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart.”

  “There are matching boots too!”

  I can’t help but turn to look at the knee-high leather boots she has in her hands. They’re perfect, just like the clothes. The straps along the sides would be excellent to help with any fitting issues, though they look to be my size.

  Not that I’m impressed by such things right now. I need to keep an eye on Talie so she doesn’t stab us in the back.

  “Those were donated by a noble squire who used them for training before swiftly growing out of them,” she says. “They would look very nice on you.”

  She’s smiling at me when I turn back and there’s no sign of a knife in either of her hands. She doesn’t even have her hands behind her back to hide a weapon or spell she might be conjuring, instead they’re out in a vaguely welcoming gesture.

  “As for this ridiculous game the gods are currently play, the Lady Regine is firmly ranked number five,” Talie
continues with her ever sickeningly sweet smile. “Even so, she’s currently attempting to convince the others to stop fighting and work together as the gods were always designed to do.”

  My lips pull together with displeasure both at her goddess’ rank and her unnatural kindness. Then my gaze catches on my fellow champions buried up to their shoulders in the clothes they’re rummaging through and I get an idea.

  “Regine is a pretty impressive goddess, it seems,” I say.

  I take the boots Willow found for me and examine them. No critters hiding in the toes and the soles are as good as new. Not a single hole to be seen.

  “She is the best,” Talie declares with an enthusiasm I’ve never felt for anything, even my pillow. “Kind, generous, loving. She is the warmth of a hug with the gentle scent of a fresh spring rain.”

  “And it seems her followers are quite generous.” I try to not show my pleasure as I slip my foot into the soft leather of the boot and it wraps around my foot without a speck of discomfort. I’ve never worn such finely crafted boots before. It only serves to reinforce what I already suspect about her goddess. “I suppose the church is offered lots of different items to appease her.”

  “It’s only to be expected of the goddess of generosity.”

  I turn to Willow who’s stuffing her head through the neck of the blue dress I noticed when I first saw the box. It’s made of even more luxurious fabric than I first thought, though I can see it would be much too large on me. Jameson is behind her happily strapping on layer after layer of brightly colored items of every sort. There seems to be no reason for his choices other than that they look of high quality. Most wouldn’t fit him if he tried to wear them normally and he now has approximately four belts strapped to his body in various places. All of this worn on top of the perfectly suitable outfit he had on before we got ripped out of his home.

  Yes, I think this will work out very well.

  “What I’m hearing is that this building is full of items waiting to find their way into worthy hands.” My words instantly catch Jameson’s attention while Willow takes a moment longer to figure out what I mean. “And who would be more worthy than the champions of a low-level god just trying to survive in this big scary world?”

  Willow’s eyes grow large and for a moment I’m sure she’s going to scold me for even thinking of taking advantage of Talie. Then a smile spreads across her face and excitement.

  “Who indeed?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Cathedral of Wonders

  “I’ve always loved a good history story.” Willow wraps her arm around Talie’s, locking the pair together and giving the white knight no easy escape. For the first time Talie’s smile falters, so either she’s a little wary we’re about to take advantage of her kindness, or she got a full whiff of the sewage stench still clinging to Willow’s hair and skin. Either way, she doesn’t let it bother her for long. “Why don’t you show us the most prized items that were donated to the goddess so that you can tell me their stories.”

  “Oh, well,” Talie stumbles over her words for a moment, and I’m sure she’s trying to think of a way to refuse while keeping up her overly kind persona. Instead, it seems she’s struggling to think of the best place to start. “The most valuable items are kept in the vaults. Though I can’t say I know much about their history, I’m happy to find a scholar to help, if you’d like.”

  “I’d rather your insight,” Willow winks.

  Talie flushes and lets out a little giggle before leading the way deeper into the cathedral. Jameson moves to keep pace with them, offering up a drink even more suspicious than the one Kesarre swallowed. She takes it with a ‘thanks!’ and downs it in a couple of gulps. I hold my breath and wait for the tail, but nothing appears. She does start walking a faster, to a point where Willow’s practically running to catch up.

  Jameson cocks his head to the side and starts furiously writing notes while allowing the girls to walk ahead.

  ‘I didn’t bring you here so you could torment my sister’s followers,’ Kesarre says into my mind. I think he’s trying to scold me, but it’s hard to tell when I can’t see his face or body language. Not that it matters. I feel no remorse. ‘You were meant to learn how there are good people in the world who want nothing in return for kindness.’

  ‘I have learned that,’ I reply. ‘I also learned that you were right. I will never be white knight material. Now, do you want to scold me some more, or do you want to come help us pillage this cathedral?”

  His chuckle leaves me relaxing with relief. I hadn’t realised I cared what he thought of me, but here I am, worried he might think less of me because I’m stealing from the innocent. Even if they are rich innocents.

  ‘Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to step on the consecrated grounds of my siblings' worshipers,’ he says with a hint of disappointment. ‘Rules of the game. Enjoy yourself enough for the both of us, will you?’

  As the words filter through my mind, Talie leads us into a huge room with the walls covered in paintings and tapestries. Every couple of feet there’s a pedestal or table with anything from one leather bound book to a couple dozen gemstones on display. Hundreds of artifacts fill the room. Some glitter, some feel as though they call out, though there’s nothing living in the room besides our group, and some are as ordinary as a simple pair of white shoes.

  Willow heads directly to the closest book and flips it open even as Talie reaches out to stop her. Too late, a burst of wind slams Willow into the air four feet to slam into another small pedestal, nearly knocking the vase displayed there to the ground.

  “Oh, actually,” Talie says sheepishly as Willow slowly pushes herself back to her feet, “Some of the items are magical, so it’s best to be careful touching them. I would suggest checking with me first.”

  I glance over to Jameson to see what he thinks of the no touching rule and find him smiling at Talie and nodding his understanding. It feels a bit odd, given the skills Kesarre gave to him, but I guess I don’t feel the need to kill everyone I see despite my reaper class. I suppose that means he can resist stealing everything he sees as well.

  My gaze is caught by the movement of one of the tapestries that stretches the twelve feet to the ceiling. It wasn’t much, just a twitch really, gone before I could be sure I saw anything, but my gut tells me to investigate.

  “That one is safe to touch,” Talie tells Willow while I examine the edge of the thick fabric. “Though you might not want to. That’s the Tome of Allure. It’s told to have the names and statuses of every god created weapon or item.”

  Perhaps a rat clambered up the back, causing it to shudder. It was the only thing that made any sense, but after our last encounter with so called rats, I’d better check just to be sure it’s not something more dangerous.

  “Why wouldn’t I want to touch it then?” Willow asks. “That seems like incredibly useful information. Are there illustrations? I love a good illustrated manuscript.”

  I move the tapestry aside with a little more effort than I expect. It’s much heavier than I expect from fabric, even an extremely embroidered piece the size of my apartment. No rats, though they could have easily moved out of sight in the time it’s taken me to move the tapestry.

  “It’s said,” Talie hurriedly says as I’m sure Willow isn’t giving her much time to stop her from grabbing the new book, “whoever touches the book becomes obsessed with its contents and cannot rest until every item within has been collected and claimed as their own.”

  I’m starting to think it was something heftier than a rat to make such stiff fabric move. Maybe a huge creature’s about to leap out and bite my head off.

  ‘Or perhaps it’s the meddling of a god who isn’t supposed to interfere causing the movement,” I consider while thinking strongly about Kasarre in hopes he’s listening to my thoughts.

  ‘I’m not interfering. I haven’t done a thing,’ he says all too innocently. ‘Funny they would cover up such an intricately carved wall, don’t you
think? Surely, they could have found a different area to hang the tapestry. It’s not even one of the better ones in the room.’

  I force the fabric back a little further to see what he’s talking about and find myself face to face with a hideous person with a snake coming out of its mouth. His stone body is bent over in angles no living person would be able to bend in. Almost like an animal, though the basic structure seems human enough. I make a disgusted sound at the carving and follow the design up to a beautiful woman standing over the beast with a boot on its back. Several other creatures lie crumpled at her feet. Symbols are carved in every open space that nearly mask the handle at shoulder height.

  “It’s a door,” I say loud enough to grab the others’ attention. “Why would there be a hidden door in a place meant for followers of the goddess of generosity?” I turn to Talie who looks unashamedly baffled by my discovery. “Doesn’t hiding things go against her desire to make all things available to those in need?”

  “It is odd.” Talie takes the tapestry from my shoulder where it’s resting and shoves it to the side with an ease that belies its weight. From the way it moves in her hands, it seems to have been designed to slide to the side and bunch up like a curtain. “I’ve never heard of such a thing in the cathedral. Though most of the champions and residents don’t come into this section of the building unless we’re assigned to clean the items. There’s no need for us to.”

  “Yes, yes.” I wave my hand impatiently. “You’re all very great and wonderful people who would never succumb to greed. We understand. Now, what’s behind the creepy door?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Dungeons and Catacombs

  “These icons that surround the image.” Willow rubs her hand over one of the indented marks that surround the main illustration. The one she touches looks to be a pointed hand. “There’s meaning behind them, but I can’t quite decipher them.”