Even Gods Must Fall (35 page)

“You don’t honestly expect me to care what you think, do you?” Amar fumed. “I recruited you to perform a job, which is on the surface, not down here.”

“I didn’t think you were concerned with the battle,” Maleela spat back.

“I don’t but the Goblins must hold long enough for me to complete this task. You must return to the surface and oversee the battle. Where is Thrask?”

Maleela frowned. “He took a battalion of Goblins to confront the Dwarves and something else.”

“Something else?”

“They are unlike anything I have ever seen. Great beasts that walk on two legs and have heads like bulls. They are slaughtering the Goblins at will,” she admitted. Dire fascination laced her words.

Amar Kit’han found the news disturbing. He’d taken into account almost every angle from which their enemies could attack, but failed to imagine the warriors of Malg would leave their forest homes. “Minotaurs. So Artiss Gran has managed to unite more races than we supposed. I believe our wayward brother is in need of cleansing.”

“You should have never let him live,” Kodan Bak snarled. His anger had boiled over. Sensing momentary weakness and distraction, the lesser Dae’shan decided it was time to make his play for control.

“Now is not the time, Kodan,” Amar cautioned, his tone suggesting he knew what was about to happen.

“You will not be made a god. You’ve led us down wrong paths for too long, Amar Kit’han. The time has come to end your rule.”

He and Pelthit Re spread out to either side. Raw power danced from their sleeves. Ripples of blue electricity coated their cloaks. The very air around them began to hum. Maleela stepped back and hugged the far wall lest the battle destroy her.

“Stand down, brother. It does not need to end this way,” Pelthit Re ordered.

Hatred burned in Amar’s empty eyes. “Oh but it does. Ever you have craved my standing. Tonight, after the dark gods elevate me, I promise I will torment you until the breaking of the world.”

“No more talk.” Kodan Bak launched his power at Amar. The other barely managed to deflect it in time, the magic exploding harmlessly across the ceiling. Rocks and debris fell heavily. Pelthit Re attacked from the opposite side, again testing Amar’s defenses. Again the magic exploded across the chamber.

Maleela crouched and placed her hands over her ears to keep the deafening booms out of her head.

The sounds of fresh battle invigorated him. Badron picked up his pace as he delved deeper underground. The moment of retribution had arrived and once again he could claim the throne. All of his trials had led to this one instant. He gathered his waning strength and raised his sword in anticipation of striking the Dae’shan down.

“Demon! I’ve come to claim what is rightfully mine!” Badron roared as he entered the chamber.

The battle halted immediately. Magic dissolved, leaving residual trails drifting in the air. The smell of blood, iron and foul, choked the air. Badron’s eyes were drawn to the bodies slowly bleeding out on the stone slabs. Questions came to mind but this was no time for such idleness. He’d come to do murder and nothing would alter his course.

With but one sacrifice left and his brothers attempting to murder him, Amar suppressed the desire to purge the entire chamber in flames. Humans had always proved unreliable and taking a chance with this family had been a reluctant necessity. One he now regretted. Still, watching father and daughter try to murder each other should prove entertaining.

“Ah, the wayward king has returned,” he chided. His voice was smooth, like water flowing over stone. “Alas there is nothing for you to claim.”

Kodan and Pelthit paused their attack, suddenly fearful of a trick.

Maleela spun, drawing her sword in the same motion. “Father?”

“Maleela?” Badron said, confused. “This is your doing! You’ve sought to replace me from the beginning.”

“No, Father, I haven’t. But I am going to kill you now.”

Maleela leapt into an attack. Utilizing the momentary distraction, Amar Kit’han completed the ritual by plunging the athame into the final sacrifice. The world began to disintegrate around them.

Even Gods Must Fall

The explosion threw Maleela and Badron to the ground. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling. Amar Kit’han exchanged worried looks with his fellow Dae’shan.

“The wards have been breached. Our enemies are upon us,” he hissed. “You let this happen!”

Kodan Bak, smoke rising from his tattered robes, clenched his fists and was instantly surrounded by a pale green glow. “You have caused this. So close to success you bring failure into our midst.”

He unleashed the power. Amar reeled back, letting go of the athame. The magic burned holes in his robes. Weakened by the blast, he struggled to regain control as Pelthit Re swept in from behind. The Dae’shan clashed in a titan struggle. Skeletal hands clawed at each other. Robes were ripped to tatters. For a moment it appeared Amar Kit’han was on the losing side, but Pelthit was always the weakest of the trio. Amar managed to shove Pelthit away and attack with his full power. The lesser Dae’shan deflected the magic for a few moments before his hands began to crumble away. His robes flamed, turning him into a moving torch. Pelthit screamed once, a horrible sound from the darkest abyss, before his head exploded.

Power bristling on his hands in reds and oranges, Amar turned to Kodan. “Now for you, my traitorous friend. It is past time you learned your place.”

Kodan Bak stared at the ashes of Pelthit Re floating in the air for a moment before reluctantly turning to face Amar. He’d made a grave miscalculation in Amar’s abilities and was going to pay for it with his life. There was no backing away now. “Come then, let us end this now.”

Amar raised his spindly arms in preparation to attack.

“What have you done, demon?” Badron demanded as he shakily picked himself up.

Amar and Kodan both paused, following Badron’s pointing finger. The Olagath Stone was bleeding dark crimson light. The glow steadily grew larger until it bathed the entire ritual chamber. The last drops of blood flowed into the Stone and the ground began to rumble harder. A hole opened in the ceiling and grew larger.

Amar flashed Badron a wicked snarl. “I have liberated this pathetic world from the rule of you mortals. Soon the dark gods will be released and nightmares will come once again. You will bear witness to the end of all races in Malweir and my ascension to godhood.”

“You’re mad!” Maleela accused even as she readied her sword to murder to her father.

“Mad? I’ve spent lifetimes humbling myself before the world as I awaited this moment. You have had your chance to rule the world and been found wanting. This is the hour in which all hope fails. Welcome to despair, princess.”

“Quickly! The ritual has begun,” Anienam warned as they edged to the entrance of the ritual chamber. Desperation filled his heart. His worst fears were coming true. They were too late.

“Wizard, is this all for naught?” Bahr asked even as his mind raced through tactical possibilities. He spied the two Dae’shan in their tattered robes and immediately figured they had already gotten into it. What surprised him was finding his brother here. Worse, Badron was confronting Maleela. The five corpses on the stone slabs were inconsequential. It was the Olagath Stone that drew his attention. Bloody light drowned the chamber, emanating from the Stone.

Anienam wasn’t sure. “Perhaps, but there is still a chance to destroy the Stone before the dimensional portal opens. We must hurry. Help me distract the Dae’shan so Groge can do his job.”

“Arrows,” he hissed and the wooden shafts sped towards the unsuspecting Dae’shan.

Without Boen, Bahr felt his chances of success were lessened but the Gaimosian had given his life so that they might succeed. He watched the arrows disintegrate on impact despite being imbued with magic. Trusting in Anienam’s abilities, Bahr led the charge into the chamber. Ironfoot raced at his side, eager to drive his axe into one of the robed demons. Rekka, Dorl, and Nothol covered Groge as he slowly got to his feet after having to nearly crawl down the tunnel. The Giant was frightened but made a brave show. He drew the Blud Hamr which had been an inanimate object until now. This close to fulfilling its purpose, the Hamr throbbed in his hands and began to glow light yellow. Groge felt the power fill his veins, giving him strength unimagined. He might lack the strength to carry out his task, but the Hamr was not to be denied.

Amar Kit’han studied his enemies. Disappointment in finding Bahr alive after so many failed opportunities filled his heart with rage. “Kodan, stop the Giant! He must not succeed!”

The Dae’shan set aside their differences in the face of greater danger. They split to opposite sides of the chamber and attacked. Kodan Bak aimed directly for Rekka. She was easily the most dangerous of the group. Her slightly curved sword angled up to attack him. The Dae’shan was void of emotion as he deftly avoided her swing and knocked her to the ground. Dorl jerked to a halt and swung to confront Kodan, forgetting his charge to defend Groge. Having no other choice, Nothol did the same while screaming for the Giant to destroy the Stone and end this.

Kodan lifted a foot off of the floor and spread his hands. Pure darkness radiated from his robes. He lashed out with both hands. Dorl Theed saw death approaching and was frozen in place. He dropped his sword as the bolts of power barreled towards his chest. His mouth dropped open in silent scream a moment before he was crudely slammed into the ground.

The blast caught Nothol in the stomach as he shoved his best friend out of the way. Intense pain gripped him but he couldn’t cry out. Nothol Coll clutched at his stomach even as he began to shrink. Darkness spread across his lower body. His veins were aflame. One by one his nails popped off. His eyelids melted as his hair burned to cinder. He managed to look at his two friends one final time before he melted from the waist down and died.

“Nothol!” Dorl screamed.

“Dead. Your friend is dead as soon you will be,’ Kodan hissed. He drifted closer to finish them off.

Bolts of magic struck his head and shoulder. The robes were shredded. Chunks of what little mortal remains he had were ripped from his corpse. The Dae’shan turned to face his attacker, stunned to find the blind wizard continuing to unleash his power. Already under strength from dueling Amar, Kodan was blown back by repeated blows. Unable to defend himself, Kodan was pummeled to his knees.

Anienam stalked to his prey like a jungle predator. An unearthly glow poured from his eyes. He reached out with his left hand and plunged it into Kodan’s hood. Anienam cried out in pain as he touched the necrotic flesh of the Dae’shan. Chanting spells that were all but forgotten since the Mage Wars, Anienam Keiss funneled his magic into what remained of Kodan Bak. The Dae’shan withered and died. His corpse collapsed in a pile of ashes. The last wizard leaned against the wall and hobbled after Groge. The Giant was his priority.

On the opposite side of the chamber the battle took a decidedly different path. Only moments after Amar realized his enemies had arrived, Maleela took the opportunity to attack her father. Her sword whistled through the air en route to slashing into Badron’s right bicep. He roared in pain. Blood fountained from the wound. He narrowly avoided losing the arm completely by deflecting Maleela’s second blow.

“You pathetic child,” he sneered after regaining composure. “I should have left you in the woods to die after you killed your mother.”

Years of pent-up anguish and suppressed rage flared to life. Maleela leveled her sword and shouted, “I didn’t kill her!”

Badron laughed in her face. “It doesn’t matter, for I am going to kill you.”

“Not if I kill you first,” she replied and lunged.

Badron parried her swing and sidestepped the next. Older, tiring quicker, the king decided to let Maleela exhaust herself before making his move. Youthful vigor was no substitute for age and experience. She continued to attack wildly. Her blows were poorly timed and often off center. She was a novice and showed it on every strike. Fresh pain numbed his arm. Badron knew that if he didn’t finish this quickly there was the very real possibility he would bleed out.

He took a step back in preparation of driving his sword deep into her stomach but slipped on a piece of the ceiling. He crashed into the ground hard, breaking more than one rib in the process. Maleela glared down on him with unadulterated hatred. Two decades of confusion had boiled down to a final second before she killed him. Her sword fell.

And was blocked by Bahr’s. Rage turned to shock. She started to speak but he swung a vicious right hook into her temple. Maleela collapsed in unconsciousness. “You’ll forgive me for this later.”

“You,” Badron scowled from the ground. “I should have known you’d turn up here. The big brother too afraid to claim what was his. You’ll die a coward’s death now, dear brother.”

Bahr looked at Badron’s sleeve, now wholly covered with blood. “You’ll be dead before you can try. That’s a nasty wound she gave you.”

“Come closer and see how much fight I have left in me.”

Having gone too far to turn away, Bahr drove his sword deep into Badron’s exposed chest and twisted until his brother died with a gurgle of blood frothing on his lips. Bahr collapsed. All of his anger and tension faded. His strength fled. He was suddenly tired and felt every bit of his sixty years. Regrets filled his heart and mind. He’d never wanted harm to come to his brother despite their differences. Family wasn’t replaceable. Bahr laid a hand on Badron’s shoulder and let the weight of decades fall from his.

“You have rid the world of one tyrant only to fall to another!” Amar Kit’han rasped as he attacked.

Bahr began to laugh.

“You can’t stop me. The ritual has begun and the dark gods will soon be freed. This is the moment of your demise, lesser son of kings.”

“Stay your hand, brother.”

Amar pulled up short as a blinding flash announced the arrival of Artiss Gran. The last of the true Dae’shan stood between Bahr and Amar as the hole in the ceiling continued to widen. Unimaginable power flowed into the chamber, heralding the return of Malweir’s greatest foes. Sonic vibrations threatened to rip the chamber and all within apart. Artiss Gran clenched his spectral fists for he knew time was almost expired.

Amar Kit’han knew he shouldn’t be surprised at his brother’s return. All legends foretold the return of the Dae’shan in the final moments. With two others dead, it was down to them now. The fate of the world hung in the balance, a secondary outcome to their age-old battle.

“We should have killed you the moment you abandoned us,
brother
,” he sneered.

“This doesn’t need to continue. Stop the ritual and come back to the light,” Artiss pleaded.

“There is no going back. Tonight this world ends. The ritual has begun. Our true masters are already returning. Can’t you feel them? Forcing their way back into the world as all else fades into ash and memory,” Amar taunted him to waste time. There was still the very real fear of the Giant crushing the Olagath Stone and ruining his dreams. Fear which prompted the Dae’shan to move slower.

“Nothing is eternal, Amar, not even you. The dark gods were banished for reasons above our rationale. Do not think to claim to know the will of the gods,” Artiss chastised.

Amar Kit’han dropped to the ground, allowing his sandals to touch for the first time in years. The cold feel of stone was alien, unforgiving. “Enough talk. You can’t change my mind and you’re not powerful enough to defeat me.”

“We shall see.”

They attacked simultaneously. Magic, blinding and hot, flared through the chamber. The concussion knocked everyone to the ground. Wild, magic stretched forth and clipped Anienam not moments after killing Kodan Bak. The wizard gasped with unimaginable suffering as his bones were shattered and his organs began to melt. Using what little strength he had left, Anienam desperately tried to recover.

He watched helplessly as the battle between good and evil raged unchecked across the chamber. Bolts of magic struck the Dae’shan with unabated fury. Robes were torn apart. Desiccated flesh was blasted from bones. Each blow weakened the Dae’shan. Artiss was thrown back into the wall, shattering his spine and pelvis. Amar dropped to his knees with a gaping hole filling his chest cavity. Each ancient enemy crawled towards the other with the knowledge there was but one outcome to this affair. Amar gripped Artiss by the face and squeezed while Amar plunged his fist into the chest wound. Magic hummed, vibrating the very depths of the earth.

Parts of the ceiling collapsed around them. Heavy chunks of rock and stone broke the sacrificial slab, crushing bodies already drained of blood. Pitch-black surrounded the pedestal holding the Olagath Stone, steadily pushed back under the crimson light. Wails and moans from thousands of souls being funneled into the growing void made those survivors in the chamber cry freely.

The second explosion sent shockwaves up through the earth, ripping trees from the ground and flattening what remained of Arlevon Gale. Thousands of soldiers and Goblins were thrown to their backs. The weak of heart died instantly. Their bodies added to the lifelessness already gripping the world. At once the battle ground to a halt. Both armies struggled to pick themselves up and retreat in the face of this new threat. All were oblivious of what was happening below ground.