Cults of the Dragon Gods (Path of Transcendence Book 4)

by Brian McGoldrick

  I do not bother trying to keep my own frown from showing. "This isn't enough to kill me, and I have things that I need to take care of."

  Her frown never wavering, Life flicks her fingers in my direction, and my wounds disappear. The only pain left is that from my evolution into a Triune. "You are one that has been Chosen by the Od. I should not have to do this. You should be able to heal yourself."

  Giving the appearance of dismissing me from her presence, life turns to Special Agent Jones and gives him a heart stopping smile. "Clarence Jones. More than Brand, today, I have come for you."

  Special Agent Jones reveals a confused expression "Ma'am?"

  "So polite, unlike some people. I have come for you Clarence Jones. I know you are a man of great loyalty. Having everything you fought for turn out to be nothing but lies must have been hard for you."

  Calling Special Agent Jones polite strikes me about the same as calling a shark friendly, buy Life is Life. After my first experience with Her, I doubt I will ever understand Her.

  Special Agent Jones frowns and works his jaw a few times. "Ma'am, I prefer not to talk about it."

  Life's smile reveals a sad, gentle sympathy. "I understand. There is something you should know. That implant in your skull is more than it appears. Brand and his friends lack the knowledge to recognize it, but that was created with the technology of the Dragons, the True ones not the little reptiles running around pretending to be Dragons."

  Special Agent Jones' confusion is more profound than before. "Ma'am, that means nothing to me."

  The way Special Agent Jones keeps using the word ma'am surprises me. Other than the other Special Agent Jones, I do not think I have seen him show respect for anything or anyone, but he seems to have an instinctive respect for Life.

  Life looks at Special Agent Jones with what I think is compassion. Compassion is one of those emotions that does not come naturally to me, and I have a difficult time recognizing it in another.

  After a moment, the possible compassion disappears, and Life's expression turns serious. "It is true that you lack the experience for my words that have meaning, Clarence, but Brand and Dacbold understand the import of things relating to the True Dragons. Having an implant made with the technology of the True Dragons, even, if it is only an imitation, is an opportunity seldom seen. If you harness the Power that this implant opens up to you, there is the possibility that one day you could join the ranks of the Transcendent."

  After staring at Life for a couple minutes, Special Agent Jones looks toward me. "Is this a good thing?"

  Special Agent Jones asking me for my opinion takes me by surprise, and I shrug. "It all depends on what you make out of it. Transcension would give you a lifespan so long that you could call it immortality, but it also means that you will step in the arena of unending battle. Transcension is one goal on my path, but for me, that is just the beginning."

  Special Agent Jones turns back to Life. "No one gives something for nothing. If you help me, what do you expect in return?"

  The innocent joy in Life's smile would shatter a heart of stone. "Loyalty. If you are interested, I will take you to a place where there are men and women like you. They have been betrayed by everything they believed in, and they found new purpose in their service to Me. They will instruct you in the beliefs and philosophies that I have bequeathed done to them, and if you find that service to Me suites you, they will give you the training necessary to harness that implant."

  Special Agent Jones stares at Life for only a few moments before nodding. "I'll go with you, ma'am."

  Life winks at Special Agent Jones, and the slave collar around his neck snaps open. "You no longer need that. The chains that were built into your implant have been severed. Whether or not you serve me, the ones who put that in your Body will never be able to control you through it again."

  "Thank you, ma'am." Glancing at me, Special Agent Jones tosses me the collar.

  Life looks around the table with a broad smile. "Once you are finished eating, you can all sleep here. I will ensure that nothing disturbs your rest."

  *** Four Bones Goblin Lair – Battleground of the Damned ***

  Return: Day 347

  Elan'fer'sha opens her eyes on a world completely lacking in sound. Doing her best to not disturb Brand, she sits up and looks around.

  "Come to me, child." The voice of Life in her ears sounds like the speaker is just inches away.

  A startled Elan'fer'sha looks around but cannot see anyone nearby. Her eyes turn to the river, in the direction of the tunnel that exits the Four Bones Goblin Lair. Even though she cannot see Life, Elan'fer'sha knows that she is there. Rising to her feet, she moves toward where she knows she will find Life.

  Life sits on a relatively flat ledge of rock and gestures to the stone next to Her. With obvious trepidation, Elan'fer'sha takes a seat near Her.

  "If you follow Brand, you will die. He is an existence with a Power watching over him. The Od will not let him die easily. We created this metaverse, but We do not choose to control it. We defend it against the Primal Powers, and as long as they are not foolish enough to reach for the Primal, We leave the sentient existences to make their own choices.

  "The Od is sentient and has a will of its own. We never intended for this metaverse to have an Avatar of Death or a Child of Life. We do not want Our creations to follow Our cursed existence, but the Od has Chosen Brand. Brand is an Avatar of Death or as close to it as anything in this metaverse can be. For so long as he lives, his will be a path of eternal battle, bloodshed, and destruction. By himself or surrounded by those that call themselves allies, Brand will always walk alone. Whether soon or late, he will eventually fall, surrounded by none but enemies, who may have been allies but moments before.

  "You are not one who has been Chosen by the Od. If you attempt to follow Brand, for you, there will be no late. You will die soon, and consumed by his rage at your death, Brand will be certain to quickly follow you."

  Elan'fer'sha's first reaction was to scream at Life and tell Her that She was wrong, but in her heart and Soul, she knew that the words of Life were a truth that she could not deny. Her cheeks felt damp, and her fingertips brushed aside the silent tears rolling toward her jaw. Staring at the tears now glistening on her fingertips, Elan'fer'sha sadly smiled.

  Since meeting Brand, I have become so fragile, but I would have it no other way. I do not know how or why, but he shattered shadowed walls around my heart. If I had not met him, I would have followed my fruitless path of vengeance until the end. Even if he has crippled my strength, I have known nothing but joy in my short time with him. His has just begun his rise and his strength has already soared past my own. When be begins to Transcend, he will become the monster that others see in him, one that shakes the universe. I know I cannot survive at his side, but I want to stay there for as long as I can.

  Steeling herself, Elan'fer'sha met the eyes of Life. "Before Brand, I was unable to cry for the fate of another. I could not even cry for my own fate. Others may look at Brand and see a monster, but in my eyes, he is hope and salvation. When he looks at me, he does not see a Wytch, a thing to be feared. He sees me as a woman, his woman. He saved me. In more than just one way, he saved me.

  "He has even taken the burden of vengeance I could not fulfill. I know my time is almost up. If not for that ancient monster that Brand serves, I would already be dead. It does not matter if he never finds the ones responsible for my Clan's murder. I know that if he does find them, they will die. That is enough."

  Elan'fer'sha's brilliant smile lit up her face. "He cannot love, but he taught me to love. He has made me weak, and I love him for it."

  Life sighed. "Elan, love is not a weakness. Love brings you strength. I have been watching Brand and watching you. Your love for Brand has made you stronger."

  Elan'fer'sha shook her head violently. "You are wrong. I am weak. I doubt that I can reach the next Path of Transcendence, but I want Brand to achieve Full Transcendence and live fo
rever."

  Life smiled, but rather than joy, it was an expression of sorrow. "Nothing lives forever. Not even Us. There will come a time when I die, and there will come a time when Death dies. Everything that has a beginning has an ending. This may even apply to the Primal Powers, but whether or not it is truth, it is beyond My knowledge.

  "There is one undeniable truth of existence: conflict. Everything that exists must struggle and fight for its place. Those that do not fight for what is theirs die. We are in the middle of a war with the Primal Powers and do not have the leisure focus on internal enemies. If we falter for but a moment, this metaverse will fall, and our internal enemies will die with the metaverse.

  "You and Brand are caught up the machinations of Our enemies, those that see Us as an impediment to their path to Power. They have subverted fate are trying to claim this metaverse as their personal plaything. In their eyes, the control over Taereun's universe is a key to controlling the metaverse, and as well as on Taereun, their war is being fought within the planes trapped within Yggdrasil. They are wrong, but that does not matter. They are fools, but neither, you nor Brand are a match for them."

  Elan'fer'sha's face took on a crestfallen expression. "If Brand is right, you are the source of everything that exists. How can there be nothing that you can do? I do not want Brand to die. Save him, please. Take whatever you must from me, but save Brand."

  Shaking her head, Life met the eyes of Elan'fer'sha without saying a word.

  "There is no hope?" Elan'fer'sha's words were barely a whisper. Hugging herself, Elan'fer'sha slid off the rock she was sitting on and crumpled to her her knees on the ground.

  "Hope is ephemeral. I will make a bargain with you." The deep voice contained hate and rage that sounded as though they were barely held in check.

  Elan'fer'sha looked toward the sound of the voice. As the speaker entered her vision, terror more intense than anything she had ever experienced before froze her in place. Unable to move am barely able to think, she did not notice that she had lost control of her bowels and bladder and was sitting in a pool of her own wastes.

  From the voice, the speaker was apparently male, and based on the bulky size of his armor, he was a massively built man. His armor was dull black and inlaid with runes in the rusty color of drying blood.

  The voice in the bulky armor may have been intimidating, but it was the runes that terrified Elan'fer'sha. She could not read them, but she could sense a meaning and reality in them that nearly broke her Mind. They hit her on the same level that the word LIFE impacted her when spoken by Life. Only, those runes did not hint at secrets beyond her understanding. The secrets were laid bare in a manner to intense for her to comprehend or accept them.

  Life laid her hand upon Elan'fer'sha's head, and as though the armor clad man had become cloaked in shadow, her vision of him dimmed. Shivering in terror, Elan'fer'sha squeezed her eyes shut and ducked her head.

  "As always, you are too heavy-handed. She is only an Amalgamate. Even, Brand would not be able to look upon Your armor as he is now." The tone of Life's voice was bluntly reproving.

  The armored man met the eyes of Life. "The girl should understand what I am if she makes a bargain with Me."

  Life frowned. "The sight of Your armor would cow most Transcendents. If You break the child's Mind, how can she enter into a pact with You."

  "Look at Me, girl!"

  Unable to disobey, Elan'fer'sha opened her eyes and timidly turned toward the armor clad man.

  "I am DEATH."

  The word DEATH was more oppressive than when Life spoke her name, but it was not so intense as to steal her sensibilities.

  "Do you want to make a bargain for Brand's life?"

  Before she could speak, Elan'fer'sha had to swallow a few times. "What bargain?"

  "A war has begun. The lizards that call themselves dragons have been divided amongst themselves for ages, and now, the three tribes have split into factions. They are all at war with one another, and the war is about to break out into armed conflict on Earth. You, along with Brand, will be dragged into it. Brand is reckless, and he does not know how to back down. He is going to challenge the factions on Earth, and he is still to weak. He cannot yet win the battles he will fight. He will be killed.

  "Your Soul is already consigned to the Dark. The purpose of the Power Channels that Boran removed wast to expose you to the Dark. That Dvergar is not able to excise the taint from you, and the likelihood of you achieving Transcendence and rising through the levels of Elemental Transcendence and finding a way to free yourself is virtually nonexistent. Even, I cannot easily free someone from the taint of the Dark. Once a Primal Power has Its hooks into something, prices must be paid to escape Its claws.

  "Will you watch as he dies, or will you grasp at any and all straws to save him? Knowing that it would forever damn you, would you call upon the Dark?"

  Elan'fer'sha did not hesitate for an instant. "Without Brand, my life has no longer has meaning. I would give my body, my life, and my Soul. I would give anything to save him."

  "Here is my bargain. I will place My Mark, the Mark of DEATH, upon your Soul and conceal it. When the time comes, call upon the Dark. I will ensure that Brand survives the battles on Earth. As long as he lives, and has the chance to Transcend. Whether or not he can make use of that chance will be dependent on his own strength."

  Elan'fer'sha was confused. "Why? What do you gain from this?"

  "Sacrifice enhances Power, even Mine. If you die and are claimed by the Dark with My Mark upon your soul, My Power will in turn taint the Dark. I have sacrificed countless beings to the Umbra in this way. I will sacrificed countless more. The farther my Power is spread through the Dark, the more of it I will be able to Destroy."

  Death is insane! The thought shield Elan'fer'sha to the depths of her Soul, and the moment it entered her mind, she did her best to eradicate it.

  "I never asked You to do this." Pain was audible in Life's voice.

  "Without You, I have no purpose in existing. I will bring DEATH to the DARK or die Myself."

  At Death's words, Elan'fer'sha collapsed on the ground, vomiting blood. Before she could die, Life glanced at her, and she was restored her original condition before Death spoke.

  Elan'fer'sha felt an even deeper chill permeate her. They are monsters. Their words can kill, and I cannot guess what She did to heal me.

  While Life and Death waited in silence, Elan'fer'sha stared at Death for a long time. Is Death like me? Does He, could He, understand my feelings for Brand?

  Elan'fer'sha did not have any certain answers, but she made a decision. "I accept!"

  For a moment, Life closed Her eyes. As she opened them, Her stare was fixed on Elan'fer'sha. "You are condemning Brand to endless war and killing. You will be damned for eternity, and there will be no reprieve for him. You will be gone, and he will have no hope of resurrecting you. He will spend eternity seeking vengeance."

  Elan'fer'sha stared at Life. "Brand will survive. He will never stop seeking Power and will keep growing stronger."

  Elan'fer'sha took a deep shuddering breath and slowly released. "I am Brand's woman, but he does not love me. He is not weak. He will keep moving forward, and in time, he will forget me."

  Revealing annoyance, Life's midnight dark eyes fixed Elan'fer'sha with their stare. "Brand loves you. Because of what has been done him, he can not recognize love when he feels it. He may never understand love, but he will still love. If you die for him, do not expect Brand to forget you."

  Glaring at Life, Elan'fer'sha did not back down. She was so terrified that she thought she would piss herself again, but she did not look away.

  "Do you wish to withdraw from the bargain?" Death's voice was flat. The anger and hate that filled it was suppressed.

  "No. Give me your Mark."

  *** Four Bones Goblin Lair – Battleground of the Damned ***

  Return: Day 347

  (Brand)

  When I open my eyes, the sky is still
black. There is just a hint of purple in one direction. When Taereun was a game and this was a hunting ground, we call that direction east, but we were never certain if it was accurate. There are no magnetic poles in this little pocket, and compasses do not work.

  "Brand, come with me." Life's voice carries to me at a normal conversational level, but none of the others stir.

  Even as I extricate myself from between Elan and Angelique, they are not disturbed. This must be Life's hand at work. It would be trivial for Her to keep the rest of my party asleep.

  As I start following Life to the small river that runs through the valley, the silence strikes me. The sounds of the wind and flowing water that are normally audible in this miniature Realm are missing. I look at the river and see it frozen in place.

  "Is this all in my mind?"

  Life looks over he shoulder and smiles. "We are outside the normal flow of time. You could say that we are trapped within an instant that is an eternity. The Laws of Time exist because of the influence of the Primal Power Order, but with enough Power, they can be temporarily subverted."

  Life sits on a more or less flat boulder and pats the stone next to her. With no reason to decline, I sit next to her.

  "I have some questions."

  For a fraction of a second, I think I see a frown on Life's lips, but before I am certain, it is gone. She looks at me with a bland expression. "Ask your questions."

  "From the political landscape on Earth, the False Names, calling themselves gods, have been active on earth for thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of years, but there is no historical evidence of them acting directly. There is also the God of the monotheistic religions like Judaism and Christianity that seems to have once been involved, but he seems to have disappeared. There is also Islam, which seems to be an offshoot of old Christianity, but I think Allah is actually Woden.