Of Gods and Men by Stephen Aryan

Author:Stephen Aryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction / Fantasy / General
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2017-12-12T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

In the morning, Vargus thought hunger would be gnawing away at his insides, but as he shook sleep from his limbs one thought was consuming him. The Maker woke some time later, sluggish and weary despite the rest, probably a by-product of his exertions with the clay.

The fire had finally died while they slept and all that remained was a large circle of grey ash, which was already being dispersed on the breeze. Digging a crude pit, they buried what remained, gathered their belongings and prepared to descend back to Morgan’s Creek with their grisly trophy. With luck, once the locals saw the misshapen head, they would accept that it had been nothing more than a deformed bear and stories about the beast in the hills would dry up. It was the least they could do for the Gralldire.

Ever since they had come up the mountain, his old friend had been present and the boy, Lanny, pushed into the background. There seemed no better time to take a risk.

“Before we go, there’s something I want to show you,” said Vargus.

Normally Vargus closed his eyes during the transition between places, but this time he kept them open and experienced a moment of dizziness.

One second they were on the mountain and the next he and the Maker were standing together inside a long banqueting hall. The walls were covered with massive slabs of white and grey marble shot through with veins of gold. At regular intervals, huge fireplaces, large enough to walk into without bending over, were all silent and cold. Far above his head, black crossbeams like the bones of a monstrous beast criss-crossed the ceiling. There were no lanterns or candles and yet the room was filled with warm yellow light.

The cavernous space was empty of people but the centre of the room was taken up by a massive wooden table which had been carved from a single tree that had existed in a different age.

On either side of the table was a row of identical-looking chairs, but each held a special and unique quality that made it vastly different from those beside it. Sat at the head of the table was a massive chair which dwarfed all of the others.

At first, his old friend seemed disorientated, but once he caught sight of the table and chairs his posture changed.

“Why have you brought me here?” he asked Vargus without turning around. His eyes remained locked on the largest chair.

“To remember.”

The Maker turned towards him, face stricken with grief. “Remember? I remember it all. I only wish that I could forget, just for a moment. The carnage. The destruction. The wars and terror. The barbaric torments they inflict upon one another, driving races to extinction like the wily Necheye. Always they have a reason. A cause they believe is noble and true. Murder in the name of faith, of love, or in my name. How many times have they done it in my name?” He slammed his open palms on the table and Vargus felt the vibration through his feet.

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