Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) (195 page)

“They don’t learn. A child learns as they grow, but in this process we are basically creating soldiers with the minds of infants. Of course it also means they don’t know how to walk, fight, or anything else really.”

“So they don’t know about fear or death?” Garret asked.

“No. Like any baby or even young child, they are likely to walk into fire if left unattended.”

“Could we not use this lack of fear to our advantage?”

“I suppose we could, if trained properly,” Aston concluded, making Zorbin want to spit at something.

“And what of this contraption?” Garret asked.

“As you see, its legs can touch the ground, allowing it to move the thing about the room in an effort to teach it to walk like a man. The cables are attached to its limbs on one end and guided through pulleys to here,” Ashton said, pointing at the creature’s back. “Then this opposite end is attached to a weight, helping the creature to grow strong and increase coordination.”

“And that above its head?” Garret asked.

“By specific movements such as jumping, walking or swinging its arms in an arc-like motion, the pendulum here triggers the arm to slowly lower. When it reaches the beast’s face, it is rewarded with food.”

“So it is encouraged to move and grow stronger simply by feeding it?”

“Precisely, my king.”

“It is brilliant, Ashton. I want you and your colleagues to continue as fast as you are able. Is this as big as they will get?”

“No, it is about half way to adulthood. We expect they will be about the size of average men with longer appendages and a wider chest of course.”

“Good. See that it is done and enough of these things built to properly develop their muscles and such. You have done very well.”

Zorbin couldn’t believe his eyes or ears. Perhaps the king was not restored. His mood was improved, that much was obvious, but he had been changed by recent events. The old Garret would have never subscribed to such evils. Somehow his perception of right and wrong had been altered. Zorbin could only hope that he would see the error of his ways just as he had somehow miraculously recovered from the loss of Linaya. It was said that time could heal all wounds. All Zorbin could hope was that this new change was a wound that was not yet healed.

* * * * *

Anna climbed from the bed and traipsed down the hall devoid of all of her clothing. It was nice to be out in the open air again. Spending weeks in the crypts listening to the king’s pathetic version of insanity had almost been too much. The fact that her plan was actually working was amazing. She had thought it might, but never had she imagined his mind so far gone that he would just accept whatever she told him as the truth. It was too easy. Now all she needed to do was gain some more strength. She had been feeding for months, growing her power with every victim, though she wasn’t stupid about it. Never did she leave a victim behind that would rise again within the city, though had done so in months past, though only far from Valdadore. Those subjects of her creation fed her a steady stream of power, though not stupidly so. She had taught them not to leave others of their kind behind. Instead she fed just as she had trained her progeny, drinking in the blood and power of her victims, before ripping out their hearts. The only difference being during the battle for Valdadore. There, she had been able to feed at will without fear of being discovered, with the princess and prince raising whole armies of her kind and all. Who was to notice? Now it was back to being careful once again. Soon, she would be able to abide the light of the sun, but not quite yet. Until that time, she needed only keep the king at bay and feed until her power increased.

Tiptoeing across the cold stone floors, she swept into a room down the hall where she had stashed just such a snack to satisfy her desires. Pulling from the closet within the room a young girl, bound and gagged, she threw the girl upon the floor, watching the tears streaming from her eyes. Pressing her bound feet up towards her belly, Anna slipped her head between the girl’s legs and bit deeply into her inner thigh, suckling at the artery there. She didn’t know why, but the blood was always the sweetest at this location. Though feeding still aroused her immensely, it no longer gave her the pleasure it once had. Not now that her power had increased.

Feeling the child’s heartbeat slow, she savored the blood drop by sweet drop as it wet her tongue to flow down her throat. Finally the heart began to beat erratically before stopping altogether and without its beating, Anna was forced to drain the rest by sucking deeply at the torn flesh. In less than half an hour the deed was done, but far from finished.

Dragging the limb body behind her by its bound feet, she lifted it easily to the window and pushing the glass outwards she watched as it broke and fell away. Untying the child’s wrists and feet, she removed the gag from the girl’s mouth before dragging the small corpse across the broken shards of glass still in the frame. With her wound thoroughly disguised, Anna tossed the small body from the window, smiling as it plummeted down to shatter upon the cobblestones below.

Already there was a note in the servant’s chamber she had abducted the child from. There would be no inquiry, and the child would be written off as a suicide. Tomorrow, she supposed, she would have to be more creative.

With her appetite for blood satiated, the arousal her meal had caused now nagged at her for another satisfaction she would have to see to later. For now, it was time to figure out just what she would do with the king of Valdadore. The possibilities were endless.

Deep below the keep above, in a darkness that wrapped about him like a lover, Seth stood in silence in the room where he had met a god just the day before. There was nothing significant about the room other than it was insignificant. It was empty and devoid of any decoration. There was no life of any sort clinging to the cracks in the walls and there were no secret rooms hidden behind secret doors. It was a small room of nothing and for Seth it was perfect. Though he still found it relaxing, he neither sat nor lay down, and instead he stood in the middle of the room, reaching within himself with his mind and his vision of the gods.

All about him the maelstrom swirled in patterns and colors imperceptible to the mortal eye. He had memorized his aura once, mapping it out piece by piece and was surprised to find he still recalled them all with ease. His mind was different now. It was vast and sadly he knew he had not yet put it to good use. There was much in the world to know, much to understand, and as of yet it had gone widely ignored due to necessity.

Studying the patterns briefly, he instead focused upon the reason for delving here where no other could see. There, at the core of his being, was a single pattern that set him apart from all others he had met. Even the great Gorandor shared a similar pattern, but they were not the same. Seth pondered the pattern. All humans had this piece to their aura and yet theirs too was different. In Sara, it was nearly the opposite of his, though had far less intricate parts as well. The closest he had ever taken time to study had been the god who had sought him out the day before. Though he had only glimpsed the god’s aura, it was enough to etch it into his memory and studying that which he recalled from the god against his own he found that they were more alike than he had thought originally.

Here, in the depths of nothingness, he studied the bounds that held himself together beside that of an all-powerful god, no longer entitled to the claim. Piece by piece he paired them together, matching every detail except for one difference. As in Sara, his own aura was the opposite to that of the god, and that was when the secret was revealed. Gorandor had told him the secret without saying it, but it was now obvious that it was his reason for coming. Seth shook his head. The answer had been there all long and yet he had been too busy or too blind to see it. Whereas the gods and all life they made were creatures of creation, Seth was unique in the fact that he was the opposite. Seth was a creature born of destruction. Where the gods could infuse life with power, Seth could tear it away. Where the gods could create new life, Seth only had the power to alter it or end it.

Seth stood in the darkness for an amount of time that was unknown to him, pondering the implications of such a discovery. He understood now why they had labeled him the abomination, for he was like them but an essence of evil. His entire purpose was to destroy, yet here he was trying to rebuild a city. Was it possible to go against one’s nature? Was it possible to swim against the raging river of destiny? Was it possible that he could overcome the purpose of his creation to become something other than what he was intended to be? Seth sought the answers but none were forthcoming.

Casting his own worries aside, he reached out to the city around him and watched as the auras there scurried about like a mound of ants kicked by a passing traveler. There was so much life in the world, why would he be made to destroy it? Sara, Borrik, Jonas, and Xander spoke to unknown persons several floors above him, and reaching out further he found Goldenfingers in the company of several females, likely his harem. Further still Seth reached, wondering what his limitations were now, when he sent tendrils of his power east further still. Feeling his way along the path he had recently traveled he felt those in the city he once called home. Crossing the distance between them, Seth reached towards the very castle of Valdadore itself and found much to his displeasure that it lie just beyond his reach. Nothing but empty blackness lay beyond the tendrils he cast towards his home. Recalling his power he concentrated on issues more readily available to solve when it struck him. Free will.

Gorandor had given him this answer just like the other, only he had been deaf to it. Of course he could go against his destiny. He had free will just like the champion created to kill him, potentially saving the gods. That was what it all boiled down to. That was why Gorandor had told him that Ishanya could not kill him. It was to open his eyes. He could do whatever he wanted with the power he possessed. That was why he was an abomination, because the gods held no sway over him like they did other champions. He was unique. One of a kind. The only one who could create a better future for the peoples of Thurr. The only one who could lead them into a world where the gods were forgotten. Seth was designed to destroy, but could use his abilities to do good too. He didn’t have to bow to the will of destiny. He wasn’t bound to it. He finally could see what it was he was supposed to do. Now he only needed to figure out
how
he could do it without the gods standing in his way. He would need allies. Of that much he was certain. Time too would be needed to prepare. If the gods were all knowing and all seeing, surely they would intervene to stop him.

Sitting down, Seth took a deep breath. He had discovered his true purpose, but it still left questions to be answered. If he were a creature of destruction, what were the limitations of his abilities? Could he do things he had yet to imagine? Did he have limitations? Would there be a point where he could just look at a city and it would crumble to ash? He needed to test himself. He needed to try things he had yet to fathom. Most importantly though, he needed to discover the consequences of anything he might do. Thus far, his true nature had left a wake of destruction behind him. He had not meant to do it, but now saw it for what it was. Like footprints in the sand, everywhere he had traveled in past months were vast quantities of the dead as proof that he had passed. It was unsettling to look at it that way, but he knew now that it was the path that Ishanya had set him on. She had used his inherent nature against him, giving him the ability to unlock his potential, yet not explaining the costs of using it. A trick for which he planned to repay her a thousand fold.

Uncertain how long he had stayed below the ground, Seth rose to rejoin those above. With his skewed sense of time, he’d rather return sooner than later if possible. Climbing the stairs towards the keep above, he sought out the swollen aura of his wife, wishing to seek her counsel before dealing with any other business that might sidetrack his thoughts. Locating her immediately, he leapt into the air when breaking free of the small door at the top of the stairs and flapped his great wings to propel him higher still into the darkness of the night.

There, perched atop the highest tower of the keep, his beautiful wife sat like a bird of prey, searching the horizons for any sign of danger and watching the city below. Settling down beside her, he watched as she looked up to meet his eyes with a dazzling smile on her lips.

“Did you find the answers you were looking for?” she asked with slight concern in her tone.

“Some answers, and yet more questions. How long was I gone?”

“Almost four months.”

* * * * *

Sara rose to hug her husband close. Reports of armed processions moving in their direction had begun coming in over a week before, though none had yet showed themselves. Their messengers and emissaries had nearly all returned, yet some were still missing. Most of the city’s projects were well underway and already three of the massive crop buildings Seth had envisioned were built and thriving, producing fresh produce for a city now cloaked completely in snow. Progress had slowed due to weather, but even so, the city wall Seth had suggested was rising nearly a foot per week.

“What have I missed?” Seth asked her, obviously disappointed in his own absence.

“A lot, if I am to be honest.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“As you can see the wall is underway, and much of the city has been repaired or rebuilt. Over there you can see one of your crop buildings,” she said pointing, “and over there and there too. Another is planned for the spring.”

“And our call to neighboring nations?”

“Emissaries have returned. Most have turned down our invitation, though not all. We’ve had reports of processions moving towards us.”

“How long?”

“Any day,” she answered, understanding his question.

“And Xander?”

“His loyalty to you is only rivaled by Borrik’s and my own. His son, Corbin, is running now, just as you said he would.”

“That is good news,” Seth said, turning to look down at her with a smile.

“I am sorry I have been absent for so much, but it hasn’t all been for nothing.”

“I never thought it was, or else I would have disturbed you myself.”

Sara felt him hug her tighter and knew he wouldn’t leave her again for some time. She felt guilty with the knowledge that she might be holding him back, but also happy with the knowledge that his love for her was greater than any other.

“So what is your news? What did you discover?”

“That I am different.”

“No really?” Sara asked jokingly, “Whoever would have guessed?”

“Yes, really. In a deeply seated fundamental way, I am different not only from every living creature upon Thurr, but also from the gods themselves.”

“Okay, now I’m intrigued. Do tell more.”

“The gods, like their children, are all creatures of creation. I am their opposite.”

“In what way?”

“I am a creature of destruction. Had I known, I probably could have prevented a lot of the deaths that have happened around me.”

“Don’t blame yourself for that. You can’t!”

“I don’t. It is not my fault that I was left ignorant of my capabilities and why they developed as they did and how to use them properly. Ishanya is to blame for setting me on a path that would lead to so much desolation.”

“But what does it mean if you are a creature of destruction? That you can only destroy and use your ability to ruin things or kill them?”

“I thought so at first, but no. Gorandor mentioned free will when we met. He said to follow a path I couldn’t yet see and I think that this is it. Just because I am sown from the seed of destruction, does not mean that I am bound to it. Gorandor wanted to show me that I am free to make my own decisions and create my own fate and destiny.”

“So what does that mean?” Sara asked.

“It means I need allies. I need champions. I need to gather as many people to my cause as possible.”

“Isn’t that sort of what we were doing already?” Sara asked, one of her eyebrows raising.

“Yes, but now it is not to make them forget the gods.”

“It isn’t?” she asked, confused.

“No. I want to kill them.”

“Is that possible?” Sara gasped.

“There’s only one way to find out.”

“So now we are going to gather mortals to wage war on the gods?”

“Something like that.”

“You’re being elusive.”

“I know. I still have some questions I need answers to, and time to figure out just how I can set this all in motion.”

“So why did you come out of hiding if you still have questions?”

“To see you. I thought you could help me.”

“With?”

“I don’t understand why Ishanya would change me into a creature of destruction.”

“Can a god change someone?” Sara asked. “I thought our nature was already designed at birth and a god chose to give us the power to harness it or not, and it was up to us to find our own path to that god.”

“That’s how it is for everyone else, but I’m different.”

“I suppose you are right. I guess the question is, why are you different? What sets you apart from say… Garret? If you two are twins, there has to be a point at which your fates deviated from one another, doesn’t there?”

“Shit,” Seth cursed. “And this is why I came to you. You are able to find that which I am blind to. We need to get Borrik. I have a story to share with the both of you. Sara, you have just found the missing puzzle piece. You’re amazing, and I love you beyond the bounds of space and time.”

“I love you too, but now you’ve got me a bit freaked out.”

“No need for concern. Just I’d rather tell the story just one time if possible.”

Squeezing her tightly in his arms once more, Seth released her before leaping from the roof to glide down to the lower reaches of the keep. Watching him slowly descend, Sara leapt from the roof as well, plummeting down towards the courtyard below like a wayward rock. Bending her knees slightly, she leaned forward before impact, absorbing her momentum with her legs and catching herself with her fingertips upon the ground.

* * * * *

Ishanya scowled down upon Thurr from the realm of the gods. Her plan was unraveling from the epic ending that she had prepared. Too much was in motion to cast her aside. No. She would still have her victory, but it simply would not be as glorious as she had intended. Everything was still in place to bring the little whelp begging to her on his knees. Her other champions followed the paths set before them like acorns in a river, unable to escape. Gorandor and those he aligned himself with as allies were too weak now to stop her. Only the puny death mage had grown beyond what she had intended. Even now, he sat perched in a towering castle surrounded by thousands that thought him a god. It was sickening to see and she felt the urge now more than ever to bring his short reign to an end.