Two (The Godslayer Cycle Book 2) (4 page)

Olsef for the first time began to fear what this man was saying.  For only one thing could promise what this man did.

“You are a God.”  Olsef felt the urge to reach for his knife, yet knew it was a wasted effort.

“
Not yet,” said the man before him.  “A God requires faithful.  But if you will have us, we would be your Gods, yes.”

“
My people want nothing to do with Gods.  Your kind destroyed our lands, destroyed our lives, cast us out into a world incapable of ever supporting us.  Yet we managed and survived in spite of you and your kind.  We will not be victims of your bloodlust again.”

The man stood patiently, making no effort to interrupt Olsef.  “Your Gods were bound by the covenants which made them, Olsef.  They were made greedy, and they could not defy their nature.  The result was to destroy not only their faithful, but themselves, as well.  You have the chance here to remove that possibility from the covenant we forge.”

“You are saying that I could order you to never wage war upon other Gods, and you would do this?”

“
No, you could not order us.”  The man walked to within a hand-span of Olsef and stopped.  “But we could agree to honor this condition, and we would forever be bound to not do such a thing.  A covenant is a powerful thing.  It provides us the ability to grow, and it provides your people with the things they need to flourish, as well.  But it is an agreement that is not entered into lightly, for once ascribed – with your blood and my own divine essence – we will be forever bound by these rules.  Even if your people or mine would wish to change them, we could not.  So think well upon what you ask of us – for you will be unable to change your mind later.”

Olsef chewed on his inner cheek for a moment.  “No wars?  You promise this?”

“If you make it part of the covenant, then yes.  No wars with other Gods.  Ever.  So long as we draw breath, we will forever be bound by that rule.”

Olsef chuckled.  “Why me?  Why would you ask me to make this agreement?  I am no great wizard or man of power.  I am only what I was reduced to by your kind – a simple nomad.”

“A simple nomad who speaks for his people, as I do for myself and my brethren.”

“
Brethren?  How many brethren?”

“
Nine, myself included.”

“
So, nine would-be Gods want me to give you permission to seek worship from my people?”

“
To be precise, for us to seek your worship, and for you to give it.”

Olsef pursed his lips a moment.  “Airek.  Where I come from, it is a man who would look like a woman.  Do you like that name?”

The man grinned.  “I do not take insult, if that is your intent.”

Olsef laughed.  “You really will take anything I say?  Set it as law and not break it?”

“Indeed I shall.  As will we all.”

A wicked grin flashed across Olsef's face.  “One more thing.  If I am to give you to my people, you must prove you are not all of war.  A war God, sure, but not all war Gods.  Understand?”

“You will need to speak your meaning.  I may not guess it.”

“
The Gods that destroyed our lands were strong, powerful men.  Your appearance gives me the idea that perhaps we can make sure that is never a question, even for our new God of war.  I would have you each be neither male nor female completely.  Can this be done?”

Airek nodded.  “In a sense.  We cannot abandon sexuality, for you clearly would have us resemble our faithful.  But we could be both, male and female.  We could have aspects of both, if you wish it to be so.  A duality if you will.  But it would need balance if this is what you seek.  For even a God may not be two things as one.”

“What do you mean?”

“
I mean that you must give each of us dual aspects to reflect the dual sexuality.  If you wish us to each be both male and female, then you must have us each be God and Goddess of two aspects.  War and Peace.  Love and Hate.”

“
Bounty and Famine.”

Airek nodded.  “As you say.”

Olsef looked down upon the valley where his people frolicked.  Soon it would be dark, and what would come of the day would need to be rested away.  But soon, it was as the would-be-God said – soon his people would need to make plans.  If there were seasons here, they would have to find ways to adapt.  And nomads from a desert wasteland were ill equipped for it.

Olsef returned his eyes to those of Airek.  “On behalf of my people, what must be done then to strike this covenant?”

*    *    *

Dart's senses jerked back into her own body and she was once again staring across the table at the Witness.  “Holy excrement...”

The Witness released her hand and sat back.  “Now you know.”

“
Oh yeah, now I know.”  Swallowing hard, Dart reached out and grabbed the Witness by the scruff of the ear.  “I know I need to get you the Pit out of here!”

In an instant, the corner of the inn was vacant, as Dart's power pulled both of the demi-Gods away.

Nathaniel scrinched his eyes as the light of dawn spread across his face.  He pulled in on himself for a moment, tensing his muscles, holding in what warmth he could from the blankets.  For just a moment, he allowed himself the illusion that he was home in bed with his wife, and that soon young Geoffrey would be demanding his attention.  In that sliver of time, he saw the routine of his life and the comfort of his wife, Mari, and he was content.

But memory soon outraced fancy and he opened his eyes to the real world.  Mari was gone, slain by the Goddess, Imery.  Geoffrey had been kidnapped by her followers.  And he was not sleeping in his own bed, but in a heavy fur alongside a burned out campfire in the wilderness.  He had slain Imery for her affront, but that had not brought either his wife or son back.  And now he needed to decide what next to do.

Before he could think further in the moment after waking, a delicate arm reached over and embraced him.  “You're awake, I see.”  Nathaniel momentarily started at the invasion of his personal space, but a sudden memory came to him – of Brea – the Lady Brea – sharing his fur, their bodies wrapped together in comfort.  Something felt unreal about that, but the more his mind reached for why that would be, the more elusive that suspicion became until it evaporated completely as though it were but the wisp of a dream.

Nathaniel smiled and took Brea's hand into his own, hugging it to his chest.  “Not the only one,” he said.

Brea kissed the nape of Nathaniel's neck.  “Last night was wonderful,” she muttered, moving down to nuzzle into the crook of his shoulder.  “Felt like it was the first time.”

Nathaniel puzzled over that a moment – first time?  Yet then again the thought drifted away and he fell into the softness of Brea's embrace.  “We won't be able to stay here long.  I'm sure Bracken is already up.”

Brea giggled.  “That grumpy old dwarf is just jealous because he doesn't have anyone to play with, is all.”

Nathaniel turned to face Brea.  “Why would you say that?  You only just met him.”

Brea lifted her head, a quizzical look coming over her face.  “Seems I have known him longer, I guess.”  Her confusion faded after a moment, and she said, “It must be my dreams moving into my waking mind.  I only know him from the tavern--”

“
Which Imery had burned down,” Nathaniel interrupted with a scowl.

Brea blanched.  “And then of course, we all met up again last night.  It's just... For a moment, I thought there was more...”

The nagging sense that he was forgetting something important played at the fringe of Nathaniel's awareness again.  He looked up and over Brea to see if something was different about the camp, but nothing immediately caught his eye.  Bracken was nowhere immediately visible, but the man known as Avery was still tied securely to a tree at the edge of the camp...

Avery?
Nathaniel's mind jumped for a moment.  A distinct memory of his fight with the rat-faced man last night came to his mind, including the blow which had severed the man's hand.  And then he had... what?  What had Avery done last night that made his presence seem so out of place this morning?

But no.  Avery had fallen and Bracken had leaped onto the man, holding him until Nathaniel could cut off a piece of his shirt to tie the wound and to secure the man's hands behind him.  He clearly remembered leading the man back into camp and tying him to the tree before going to sleep with Brea.

Nathaniel blinked.  That wasn't exactly right.  Brea had summoned Imery and Nathaniel had used the sword taken from Avery to drive a mortal blow through the body of the Goddess.  That image – the memory of the Goddess' phantom forms joining her main body, of the bright flashes of light every time one of them came into contact with her body – were indelibly imprinted on his mind's eye.  The image of the Goddess' form dissolving in shimmering dust and the looks on the faces of Brea and Bracken were equally imprinted.  The sellsword – or at least the one with any sense left – had been equally shocked, his face cast in horror at the far side of the camp.  It was a moment locked into his memory – yet he could not recall where Avery had been during that confrontation.

Nathaniel shook his head.  Surely, Avery must have still been tied to the tree.  Out of sight, out of mind.  It was not like he had not had other things pressing on his mind at the moment, not the least of which was the very real threat of a mad Goddess.

Nathaniel watched Brea rise from their fur, covering herself as she did.  He had not remembered standing up himself.

“
What is bothering you?” asked the priestess.

Nathaniel closed his eyes, trying yet again to capture the elusive thought plaguing his mind.  “I'm not sure.  Just... something doesn't feel quite right.  Like something is out of place, but I don't know what.”

Brea tightened one hand on the furs in order to free her other to reach up to stroke Nathaniel's face.  “It's only that you haven't completely woken up, I'm sure.”  Brea smiled lovingly at the man before her.  “You are like a dream, Nathaniel Goodsmith.  One I cannot believe has come true.”

Again, the vague sense of something being not right tickled at Nathaniel's awareness, but this time he pushed it away.  Brea was right.  It was just his dreams playing with his mind upon first waking.  Everything was already strange enough – why should he not feel something was not right?  None of this was right, after all.  Not that his wife was dead, nor his son was taken, nor that the Old Gods had managed to recruit him into being their Avatar, forcing him to travel across the countryside to chase after some would-be-God and his magical sword.

“That reminds me,” said Nathaniel.  “Now that we have Avery, I need to find a way to summon Aerik or Malik or one of them to tell me what we're supposed to do next.  Aerik said there were nine swords, and this is only the first.  So if I need to finish the job, I will need directions.”

“
I demand to be released!” came Avery's voice, interrupting the conversation before Brea could respond.  “If you release me now, I assure you that my faithful will not rip you apart when they come for me.  And they
are
coming, I assure you.  They know their God is here, and they are coming.”

Nathaniel closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  This man was petty and demanding, but he was no God.  He only had a God's sword and convinced some people that he was divine, apparently.  But without the sword, he proved to be a sniveling wretch, a coward who ran away rather than--

Ran away?  Nathaniel stopped and thought for a moment.  No, that's not what happened.  They had captured Avery, held him down, brought him back to camp.

“
Oh, Godslayer,” called Avery.  “Are you listening to me?  I said my faithful are coming and you had best release me.”

“
No uns gonna r'lease ya, ya li'l twit,” came Bracken's voice from behind Nathaniel.  The man turned to see his dwarven companion entering the camp, followed by the two sellswords that Brea had brought with her, each carrying a load of kindling for the morning fire.  “Ya's caugt fair 'n square, an' ya's not gonna be runnin' 'round causin' us more grief.  Ya ken stay tied up there jus' fine 'til we d'cide what ta do wit' ya.”

“
Bracken.”  Brea rushed over to give the dwarf a warm embrace.  “I was worried when I didn't see you.”

The dwarf pulled back.  “Now wha's this, all o' sudden?  Ya dinna much like me las' night, an' now yer missin' me?”

Brea pulled back, startled.  “I... I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking,” fumbled the priestess.  “Like you were an old friend...”

The dwarf
har-rumphed
.  “No much likely, tha'.”

The one called Alsen guided his brother, Derik, over to the fire pit, giving the larger man clear and deliberate directions on where to place the wood.  But the elder of the two was clearly bored by the instructions and just threw the sticks down and marched away in a pout.  Alsen groaned and went after his brother.

Nathaniel cast a glance at their prisoner and for a moment saw a look of careful thought.  But the look quickly passed when Avery saw the other man looking at him, replaced by one of outrage.  “A dwarf has no say over me.”  He spit on the ground.  “Legend has it your kind threw out your Gods anyway, so this is none of your concern.  You don't even believe in us.”

Bracken's lip split in a wicked grin.  “No' followin' ain't the same as no' believin', ya moron.  Dwarves ain't fools 'nough ta ferget where we came from, or who put us there ta b'gin with.”

“It's good you're here, Bracken,” said Nathaniel.  “I need to go try to find one of the Old Gods to find out what to do next, and that so far has meant going where no one else is--”

“
Stop ignoring me!” shouted Avery.  “Forget about your false Gods and kneel before me.  I promise, I'll forgive you for this.”  Avery nodded his head backwards, indicating his bonds and the tree he was tied to.  “I can be a very generous God, if you give me half a chance.”

Nathaniel reached down to pick the scabbard of the blade known as
One
, but hesitated a mere fraction of an inch from touching it.  He had wielded it, and so knew that was what the sword called itself –
One
.  It had some kind of intelligence, that much was unmistakable.  And it could communicate its feelings, like when he had stabbed Imery – the sword had reveled in the power of taking the life of a God.  Whatever the sword had gotten out of the act seemed to sate the lust Nathaniel had felt upon first drawing it, as if the sword fed on something from the Goddess and now was resting until it again needed nourishment.  But Nathaniel was reluctant to pick up the sword again in case that lust had returned.

“
Leave my sword alone!” screamed Avery.  “You have no right to it.  Release me so that I may take it up as is my right.”

Nathaniel turned a wry grin at their captive before again reaching for the scabbard.  The rough rope cord which Avery had been using to strap the sword to his back was a strange contrast to the beauty of the polished black leather case.

“Stop!  I command you!”

Nathaniel's hand came into contact with
One
's sheath.

And the world spun around him.  Flashes of memory danced before his eyes, two dueling sets of memories, each trying to assert themselves over the other.  Nathaniel could not make sense in the jumble over which was which – which ones were his true memories, those he had woken up with, and which ones
One
was now trying to force into his mind. 

Yet the sword's power was weakened while it was sheathed, and Nathaniel was soon able to reassert his own will.  The second set of memories vanished and he once again felt himself.

Nathaniel looked to Avery.  The captive's face had again changed to reflect very real fear, but flashed back to the self-confidence that seemed to be the man's normal arrogance. 

“
Did you know that was going to happen?” demanded Nathaniel.

“
What?”  Avery put on a forced air of confusion.  Clearly, he wanted Nathaniel to think he didn't know anything when he actually did.

“
He doesn't know,” said Brea.  “He wants you to think he knows what just happened, but he has no idea.”  Nathaniel glanced at the priestess.  Brea smiled in response.  “The true sight that Imery gave me still works, Nathan.  I can see truth in everything, including that Avery had no idea that anything just happened until you said something.”

Brea cast a brief glare at Avery, clearly intending to let the captive know he could not fool her.  But she had glanced away only a moment before her eyes darted back again.  “Something else, too...”

“You don't see anything else,” said Avery, focusing on the priestess.  “Only that I am tied to the tree, quite helpless.  You only have eyes for your Nathan, after all, so why are you even looking at me?”

Brea blinked and looked up at Nathaniel.  “Well, he's right about that,” she said.  “I do only have eyes for you.”

Bracken sniffed noisily.  “I smells magic,” he said simply.

“
With all the swords about, is there any wonder?” laughed Nathaniel.  “We have two... No,
three
God made weapons, if we include your axe.  If you didn't smell magic, I would be doubting that you were really a dwarf.”

Bracken screwed up his face, sniffing loudly again.  “No' the same, Nate.  No' the same.”

After a moment of sniffing the air, Bracken shrugged.  “Well, wha'ever it was, i's gone now.  Mighta been one o' yer Gods lurkin' 'bout, Nate.  Maybe ya shoul' go a-lookin'.”

“
You need not go looking for other Gods when I am right in front of you,” Avery crowed.  “I am the only God you need.”

“
Why do you keep saying things like that?” asked Nathaniel.  “We know you're not a God.  We know about the sword.  About the
swords
.  All of them.  You just have a magic weapon that gave you some power, and now you don't have it anymore.  So why do you keep trying to convince us to see you as a God?”

Avery smirked.  “You will believe in time, Godslayer.  You will in time.”

Nathaniel was seized by a sudden surge of rage.  “Stop playing games!  This isn't a game!  Because of you, my wife is dead and my son is gone.  Because of you, I lost my home and family.  Don't tell me about believing you are some God, because I have dealt with real Gods, and you are nothing but a filthy urchin who got lucky and came across a little too much power than you could control.  Well, congratulations!  You attracted the attention of the real Gods by playing house in your little town back there, and so I had to get rooted out here to deal with you!”