Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) (183 page)

“Even the worst of pains and the darkest of moods can be improved with company,” Ashton replied with a bob of his head and an even bigger smile.

“This is true, and you are a very dear friend, Ashton. If it were not for you, the battle and the kingdom would have surely been lost. Thank you for all you have done.”

“You know that there is no need for thanks. I am just happy to see you out and doing well.”

“Physically I am well enough, but perhaps you are right. My mood could use a lift, and I might just know how you can further help me.”

“Anything you wish, Garret.”

“Not a wish, nor an order. Tomorrow I ride out of Valdadore with Zorbin Ironfist, and would ask if you would like to accompany us?” Garret said as the pain was erased from his features momentarily.

“I’d be delighted,” Ashton answered honestly. “Where might we be going? I only ask as to be able to prepare myself,” Ashton added, so as to not anger his friend by questioning him yet again.

“We’re riding south, towards Raven’s keep. Rumor has it that evil is brewing in the forest there and I wish to see for myself if the rumors are true.”

“That’s quite a ride. Good, it’ll allow us to do some catching up,” Ashton said with a grin.

“Good. It’s settled then. Zorbin and I will meet you at the south gate at sunrise.”

“I’ll be there,” Ashton said. “I look forward to being on the road with you again like old times.”

“Some fresh air might do us all some good,” Garret agreed. “Now then, I must be on my way. I’m glad you found me, Ashton. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Ashton knew when he was being dismissed. Human politics were peculiar. People’s words always had two meanings. The first, what they said, and the second, what they meant. Garret was basically telling him to go away and leave him alone, which was fine. If he were to have a week or more, virtually alone with the king, he would be able to better judge Garret’s state of mind.

“Good night, Garret. May we all rest well.”

Without a word the king again spun on his heel and strode off towards what Ashton could only presume was the burial tombs. Turning himself, he hurried quickly back the way he had come.

Entering his room within the mage’s tower, Ashton immediately dropped to his knees. Tilting his head back towards the heavens, he prayed to his goddess.

“Thank you, my goddess, my queen, my mistress, for this opportunity. I will see to it that your will is done and that as the king is mended, so too will your order be strengthened through my counsel to His Majesty. I will guide him upon your path, and help see to it that your wishes are made material on this world.”

Rising, he crossed the room and sweeping his hand over the candle upon his desk, he watched as it sputtered to life. Pulling a small pin from the wax of the candle, he thrust it through the flesh of his finger. Removing the pin, he winced as he squeezed a few drops of blood from the tiny wound to drip down into the flame below. With a series of sparks and sputters, his blood was consumed, and with it his words would reach the ears of his chosen god.

Pulling his robes up and over his head, he let them fall to the floor without so much as a thought and climbed into his small bed. Tomorrow was the beginning of something new. It was something he had been working towards for some time now, and finally he was being given the opportunity to prove himself. Patience, he reminded himself, was the key.
Do not charge in. Do not reveal yourself all at once. Instead, lie like a hair upon the back of a horse. Go unnoticed.
Slowly, eventually, he could change the course, but only if his weight was never felt.

Closing his eyes, Ashton dreamed of a home far away where brute force was life and all other was death.

Looking up at the meager defensive wall, Seth could see no defenders with his eyes or vision of the gods. Each archer tower at the corners of the small town held a pair of soldiers, but beyond that the only defensive force he could see stood to either side of a gate in the wall straight ahead. Reaching out, he sent tendrils of power snaking throughout the town as they neared from several miles out, and found something he had not expected.

Within the town, people were plentiful enough to fill most of the homes and gather at what he assumed were public establishments, like a town should be. Here and there people walked about the streets either alone or in groups and he even caught a pair of lovers in a passionate exchange behind what he assumed was a tavern. What was peculiar, however, was the extreme lack of variance in the auras. Nearly every person in the town was without a deity, and those who had sworn an allegiance were not blessed with any gift. The whole town, it seemed, had been stripped of all gifted with a blessing when Sigrant had marched to Valdadore. Easy pickings.

Crossing the miles at an incredibly slow pace, Seth began to loathe the thick cloak draped over his shoulders. Not only did it add extra weight to the already hefty wings, but it made them cramped, clammy, and uncomfortable. More than anything he wanted to unleash his newest appendages and stretch them into the cold winter air.

Looking up at the myriad of falling flakes, it was as if they plummeted to the ground in extreme slow motion, as he could see the detail on them mid-flight and compare each one to the next with ease. Though no two were identical, many were similar, like the auras of living things. With little to do but walk incredibly slowly, Seth wondered if all creation held a randomness that could not be removed. Was it possible that the act of true creation held an element of surprise, even to the creator? If so, were those created sometimes done so with unforeseen results? Could it be possible that he, or another living person, was actually a mistake of creation? Something unintended?

From personal experience, the unintended happened more often than not, but with his infantile grasp on creation, he knew that there was a vast amount of information out there that needed to be understood and controlled in order to know what would happen when two unlike things were combined. There was much to ponder, and though he hated the way it sounded, he needed to continue experimenting with his power to truly understand it.

“Almost there,” Sara said, breaking the silence.

“Yes. Thank you,” Seth said, awakened once more from his own musings.

“What keeps you so distracted?”

“Besides the obvious?”

“Yeah. I know you have many worries and lots of sorrow, Love, and I don’t mean to reopen wounds. I just want to be a part of what is going on inside your head.”

“Many things are presently fighting for my attention, to be honest. I know I need to be here, in the now, but I see little threat from this town. I worry about Garret, and Valdadore without us there to defend it. I worry about those who have followed me to an unknown end. I worry about things I don’t know, even about myself. Many times I act and react, but I am realizing now that I need more time to study, more time to think.”

“Are you suggesting we settle in somewhere for a while to give you time?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I’m not suggesting anything, just making an observation really. I think we would be better off for it.”

“Okay. Do you have any place in mind?”

Seth’s mind swirled with the possibilities. Any place was probably as good as the next, but he had left Valdadore with a promise and he would see it fulfilled. Sara had saved them all, not him. She loved people, and was willing to sacrifice herself for them. She deserved a place where she could help people, and look over them. She deserved to be a queen and Seth would give that gift to her.

“Drakenhurst. That is where I think we will spend some time,” he answered after a moment’s reflection.

“Sigrant’s capital?”

“Not anymore.”

“True. Do you actually mean to capture it and take control of his country?”

“I do.”

“Okay, good. I’m glad you are making a plan, but why and how exactly?” Sara said, her amber and crimson eyes sparkling in the darkness.

“I don’t know how. Not yet. But I think no kingdom should be left to the dogs to be torn apart from within. I would bet that even now, differing factions struggle to assume leadership of this nation. Also, here, I think I can find the knowledge that I need. There have got to be some blessed champions remaining. Sigrant wouldn’t have left his entire nation without any champions. There will also be people to welcome into our cause too, for different reasons.”

“By different you mean your reasons and then Ishanya’s reasons?”

“Of course not, Angel. I serve the goddess, and it is only to her cause that I lend my abilities and effort,” Seth replied without even trying to contain his sarcasm.

“I can see those wheels just grinding in that head of yours. I wish I knew what you were up to, but I’m sure you have your reasons for keeping everyone in the dark.”
“I promise that you will know what I’m planning when it comes down to it. I don’t even know exactly what I’m doing, but I have a theory. I need time to test and perfect what I know and to learn more that I only am able to guess at.”

“So Drakenhurst then?”

“Yup. Let’s go see if Sigrant left us a nice big bed to roll around in.”

“Now that is a plan I can get behind. Or in front of. Then again on the top or bottom works just as well too,” Sara joked.

Seth was glad to watch her plump lips spread into a wide smile that showed her absolute adoration for him. How she could still see him in that light was beyond him, but he supposed the same could be said for either of them. Forcing a smile in return, he fought the distractions in his head and neared the guards at the gate with Sara. Behind him, nearly half a mile, was a pair of men he had chosen to join them. Their purpose was simple—relay orders, and carry supplies Seth and Sara purchased. None of them was armed. They did not want to pose a threat. Even so, Seth would not sulk around dark corners and hide who he was either.

“Halt there, you on the trail,” one of the town guards cried out. “Who goes there?”

“I am Prince Seth Derringer, brother to the king of Valdadore, and a dark sorcerer of the likes you would do well to show some respect.”

“Yeah? And I’m a barmaid with a spoon as a weapon.”

Stepping forward, Seth reached out his hands before him as they were enveloped in green and yellow flame all the way to his elbows. With his own illumination, he glared at the puny guard and flashed a wicked grin.

“I’ve shown you mine, now let’s see that spoon.”

Seth nearly lost his resolve when Sara choked on a laugh she was trying to stifle, but holding it together he stepped even nearer the guard, who now began to sweat profusely as his legs threatened to collapse beneath his body.

“Um… I uh… You see… What I had meant was…”

“No need to worry yourself,” Seth reassured the guard. “We mean you no ill will, and simply would like to visit your town and resupply some friends.”

“Absolutely, Prince Seth,” the other guard said from across the entryway. “About how many friends are you accompanied by? That is, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“It’s your town,” Seth said with a grin. “Seven thousand, three hundred and nine, not including myself. Oh wait, there are more. Make that seven thousand, three hundred and twenty six.”

Both guards’ faces fell and Seth simply smiled as they waved him into the town without so much as another word. They assumed, of course, that he meant a real army, not the ragtag bunch that actually followed, but it didn’t matter. With the meager defenses they had, an army of fools throwing maggots could win the town in a few hours.

Walking through the gate and past the guards with Sara at his side, he led her through its narrow streets lined with tightly packed homes and shops in no particular order. Using his senses, he guided them to the nearest gathering of auras, and was not surprised to find that it was a tavern. Made of plain wooden construction, it was nothing to marvel over, but they entered nonetheless.

Scanning the room quickly, he located an empty table near the door and pulling out a chair for Sara he allowed her to sit before sliding her towards the table. Rounding it, he sat as well and no sooner had he removed the weight from his legs than a plump little woman of perhaps fifty trundled on over, with breasts and belly that nearly spilled out the bottom of her too-short tunic.

“Good evening to the both of you,” the woman began, “On the menu tonight is…”

“No need, good woman. Just pack up the entire kitchen and round up any chickens, goats, or other livestock you have available. We’ll take everything.”

“But surely you must be kidding,” the barmaid replied with a slack jaw.”

“No, m’lady. We’ll see to it that the owner is well compensated.”

“I… Um. I’ll just go get her and you can work it out together.”

“Very well. Could you bring us some ale when you return?”

“Yes, of course,” she replied as the room was suddenly flushed in whispers and murmurs.

Seth sat back in his chair and reached up to pull his hair back from his face. It seemed like forever since he had last sat down to eat. It was a simple thing, really, but one that he found he missed. Did he even need food any longer? He doubted it, but even so, he looked forward to a hot meal.”

* * * * *

Sara couldn’t believe how casually Seth was behaving. It was almost as if he had come to terms with what had befallen them of late, but she knew better. Maybe he was doing it to ease
her
worries and fears. Maybe he was simply burying the emotions that just hours earlier had threatened to consume him. She didn’t know either way, but supposed that at least for the time being she would simply enjoy his lighthearted demeanor.

Watching the older woman’s over-filled sagging flesh bounce away with her peculiar gait, she witnessed as the woman vanished through a door that slammed quickly closed behind her. Turning her attention back to her husband, she found him looking at her with an adoration in his eyes she had not seen in some time.

“And what, precisely, has gotten into you?”

“I’ve decided to change.”

“Is that so? And how to you propose to do that?” Sara raised an eyebrow.

“These last weeks have been filled with hurt and pain, but those things do not define who I am no matter how much Ishanya wants it to. They do not
make
me, they only make me stronger. I have been through more than any other mortal man can say. I have died, and I have been returned. With such a gift as a second chance, who am I to focus on all the negative that has happened when so much good has happened too? I have you. I have Borrik. I still have my brother, only he doesn’t exactly want to see me right now. Sure, I’ve made mistakes, but who hasn’t? How can I punish myself for doing the things I was forced into doing?”

“I don’t know,” Sara answered, unsure if he was actually expecting her to.

“I can’t. I see now that bad things
will
happen, especially knowing that it is the will of the gods to kill all of us. But good can and does happen too. From now on I will do my best to deal with the bad but focus on the good.”

“I like the sound of that. So what are you focusing on right now?”

“You and only you, Love. Well, I have to confess that it is difficult with the barmaid’s bosom bouncing out the bottom of her shirt. You must admit, she has
a lot
to offer.”

“You are something else, and I would bet that
it
has been offered to just about everyone here.”

“Something else, indeed. Now all I need to discover is what.”

“What do you mean?” Sara asked, her curiosity piqued.

“From shortly after discovering my abilities, I began to study the auras of those around me. Yours. Borrik’s. Everyone’s. They are all similar but different. It took time and sadly some experiments to begin to sort it out, but I began to recognized things within our auras. I can disassemble them and put them back together. I can mix two or more together, and all the while I have studied the results and never have I seen the same as I do when looking at my own aura.”

“How are you different?”

“For all my pieces, I cannot tell. They are all there. Everything is like nearly any other human besides my own alterations, but in me, the different pieces interact differently. In me they work together just like they do in you, only in myself they operate backwards,” Seth admitted.

“What do you think that means?”

“I’m not sure, but I intend to find out.”

“How?”

“Study more. Look deeper. Find out why those who are blessed can be and why those who aren’t can’t. We’ve both read the scrolls and books that tell of us being pre-selected before birth by a god to carry their blessing. We know that it is up to us to seek out that god and give our allegiance in order to become blessed.”

“Yeah, but what does that tell you?”

“I didn’t have to seek out the god. She came to me. I am different. More about me is a mystery than anyone knows.”