The Madness of Gods: An unforgettable epic fantasy of war and magic (The Erland Saga Book 3) by R.S. Moule

Author:R.S. Moule [Moule, R.S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Second Sky
Published: 2024-05-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

Orsian woke stripped to his underclothes, his skin frigid against the icy cobbles. Manacles locked him to the wall, and they rattled heavily as he was able to push himself to a sitting position, hugging his knees to his chest. He shivered uncontrollably, the hairs on his skin like a forest of spears.

He looked around himself, blinking against the gloom, wondering if he had ever left Piperskeep’s dungeon at all or if that had been a vivid dream. But this cell was different to before, smaller, with a locked door containing a small open window covered by a wrought-iron crossbar. By the dim light, this cell was several floors above the previous one.

‘Finally, you’re awake. More’s the pity. If not for these chains I’d have strangled you in your sleep.’

Errian’s mocking voice broke the silent darkness. Orsian looked up, and saw his brother silhouetted in grey against the dark stone. He was as naked as Orsian, tied to the opposite wall beside the door.

‘What are we doing here?’ he croaked.

Errian coughed up a bitter laugh. ‘I’m here because you betrayed us. Though looks as if your new friends weren’t so keen on you as you thought.’ He glowered at Orsian with murderous intent. ‘What happened? Did some dungeon guard free you and you wormed your way out through the tunnels straight to the Imperium?’

‘What?’ Orsian’s mind was moving too slowly. His head felt like it was made of sawdust. Recollections of events since leaving his old cell slipped through his memory like water. ‘No… Balyard took me.’ An image of Balyard’s puce face in the darkness sparked Orsian’s memory. ‘He sold me to the Imperium!’

‘And then what, you just decided you’d fight for them?’ Errian clenched his fists and rattled at his chains, his eyes bulging. Orsian could tell that he would at that moment have gladly beaten him to a bloody pulp. ‘Bollocks, traitor.’

‘It’s true! How else do you think I’d have got out?’

‘Then why fight for them? You think being angry with me and Balyard gives you the right to betray Erland? After all we’ve fought for?’

Orsian’s head was pounding. He pressed his fingers against his temples. ‘I didn’t…’ Visions tumbled through his head, grating against his mind like fingernails on slate. A darkened tent and a man’s false face flickering in the dim light. Climbing the walls and opening the gate, carving a bloody swathe from the Ram’s Gate to Piperskeep, the terror of the shield wall and Errian’s mad, blood-soaked face hovering above him as they fought in the dirt.

‘I…’ He put a hand on the wall for support. ‘I did not know my own mind. The magus did something to me. He was inside my head.’ He realised as he spoke how unconvincing that must sound; Errian knew nothing of any magus, nor of Eryi. ‘Did you see the man, right after we fought, when the Legion broke through the gate?’

‘I saw Drast Fulkiro stopping me from killing you.’ Errian’s disbelief was unmoved. ‘Is he a magus now?’

‘Errian, think! You know I would never betray Erland.

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