Pawns of a Cruel God: A Grimdark Epic (The God Engine Book 2) by Mars G. Everson

Author:Mars G. Everson [Everson, Mars G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Strange Geometries
Published: 2023-08-20T04:00:00+00:00

“This place is a shitshow.”

Mirai was inflamed. They had walked right up to the town outskirts without seeing even one guard.

“That’s good for us, though,” said Brand

“Mmph. I’d take my old job back just to flay some people alive for this.”

Brand looked at him wide-eyed.

“It’s a manner of speech. I never flayed anyone alive. Lighten up.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Why? I did kill a bunch of people.”

“I don’t know. But I’d rather not hang around with someone who flays people for fun.”

“Never mind that. Let’s take advantage of their lack of professionalism.”

They didn’t sneak, because that would have caught the attention of anyone looking their way. They were on the outskirts near the lakeside tavern Mirai had mentioned. It was a low, hunched building built of rock and clay like a misshapen canid’s excrement. It smelled almost as bad as it looked, judging from the waft coming their way, carried by the wind coming over the lake.

Brand didn’t know what a tavern was, but he gathered he would quickly find out. Some drunk men were sitting, or rather sprawled, right outside. They walked right past them and around the building.

“We’ll sit somewhere quiet and listen,” whispered Mirai as he pulled down his hood. “It’s important to know what’s happening, who’s running things. I need to figure out a plan.”

“A plan for what?” asked Brand.

“I don’t know. There are three enclaves where people live and they want me dead in all of them. There’s only one thing that can help me.”

“What’s that?” asked Brand as they stepped into the tavern.

“Money.”

“What’s that?”

“Sshhh. We’ll talk later. Let’s grab a table first.

The noise and smell inside were mind-numbing. Brand had never seen that many people clumped together. And they were scary. Not scary like the Chainkeepers. He always knew what to expect from his captors. But these people looked out of sorts. He had never seen drunk people either, but they looked like they could either fall into a table or slam his head into one at any moment. He had to be extra cautious. He pressed closer to Mirai.

“There, those two look like they’ve had enough,” said Mirai.

They walked up to a table in the back, and Mirai greeted the men like he had known them all his life. It might be he did.

“Hey, ye bastards!” he yelled. “I couldn’t find ye beforedays. I owed you lots a round! Here, let me…”

He reached for a well-hidden pouch inside his clothes and produced a small, glistening coin. It seemed to Brand to be made from the same kingsmetal as their Leashes. He would later find out they were actually made by cutting the Leashes into small sections. Thus, each Leashed, once freed, was worth a few coins. Or rather, their necks were.

Mirai threw the coin at the two disheveled men sitting at the table. The men looked at each other and then jumped clumsily atop the table, gnawing at each other and spilling what was left of their drinks.

“Easy, easy!” said Mirai as he pushed the

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