The Punishment Of The Gods (Omnibus 1-5)

by Jake Yaniak

  'Their efforts were not in vain, for Xanthur attacked Luma next, and lay siege to the city for nearly forty years. But the elves held out against him, and in the end, with help from Lord Bralahi and the Verdent Elves of the south, the seige was broken and Xanthur was forced to withdraw for a time. The five sons of Lord Bralahi perished during that siege, and his dear queen passed away from grief upon hearing the news. Since that hour Lord Bralahi has not set foot beyond the border of the Malgier Mountains. But do not err, my Prince, in thinking that Bralahi is the stuff of history; there will come a day when men will either be brought under his power or lay his own mountain to waste. But they shall not do so by any craft they now possess.'

  Lord Havoc paused here, as if deep in thought. His chest heaved as though he were overcome with great emotion. But this soon passed and he was able to continue his tale.

  'After this, Xanthur turned his wrath suddenly against the Sacred Tree of the Argent, which lay between the mainland of Illmaria and the southern wastes of Amlaman. His wrath was fierce and unstoppable. With Galmod following close behind his army, Xanthur destroyed the Fortress of Holon and sent the great beast to devour the elves. All the wisdom and power of the Argent was set against him, but he tore the elven warriors to pieces. Xanthur set fire to the Argent tree, the smoke of which seemed to choke the whole continent of Illmaria.

  But at Holon, the Argent hero Valaris wounded the fell beast Galmod, blinding him with his adamant spear. The beast writhed and bellowed for seven days, tearing down what remained of the Fortress of Holon before finally slithering away eastward and perishing, it is hoped, in the depths of the sea. Xanthur withdrew his army to the south and prepared for his next assault against the Elves.

  'With the loss of Holon and the death of the Sacred Tree, the Argent Elves forsook Luma and fled to Dadron. They could hope for no further help from Bralahi, who had lost everything in the siege of Luma. He now spent his efforts shoring up his own defenses, and did not send any armies out to aid the Argent. Xanthur turned his attention at last to that mighty fortress Dadron toward which his whole host now marched.

  'Xanthur's advance, however, was stayed by the army of King Joplis and his kinsman Vol, both of whom are your ancestors.

  'In one final attempt, Xanthur summoned every ounce of his strength, and every foul creature that he commanded. He broke past the armies of Amlaman and passed through the Amla Gap, drawing every orc and goblin out of the hills to his side. It was said that in those days the whole western part of Falsis was covered by goblins and orcs and evil men, marching to tear the walls of Dadron from their foundation.

  'But ere his armies reached the outer walls, the skies rent in half and the Aggelos descended, led by Daryas, the lord of all Aggelos. It was said that they burned every goblin to ashes and Daryas himself slew Xanthur with his flaming sword, casting his soul into the deepest pit of hell. When the Aggelos had finished their war they passed beyond the land of Weldera into the south and lighted upon the peak of the tallest mountain in Cromlanoc, a land of which little is known.

  'Thus Dadron was spared, by the coming of the winged warriors of heaven, at just the hour they were in need. And how were they so spared? What assured the lying Argent elves of the favor of heaven? Nothing save for the power of the Naming Stone, which Lord Falruvis had carried over the ocean from the land of the gods. This is the source of the power of the elves, and it is that stone which saved them from Xanthur. And it was also for this stone that Xanthur waged his war. He was defeated only because Lord Falruvis had the courage to use it, if only in that final hour. He was able to summon to his side, an army of heaven's warriors.

  'The siege of Dadron in those days is undisputed among historians, both among the elves and among human beings. And it is also undisputed that the armies of Xanthur did not so much as lay a finger on the walls of Dadron. How could so great a foe be defeated without leaving even a scar or a mark on the fortress? Only because it is true that the Aggelos came at that hour to rescue Dadron. And how could they come at just that hour? Only if they were called by Falruvis. So from the indisputable history of the Arbori Wars, we draw the indisputable existence of the Naming Stone of Bel Albor.

  Volthamir barely blinked for the entire length of Lord Havoc's speech. But when he paused at last, Volthamir stood up and walked around the room, shaking his head.

  'This is no history that I have ever heard, Lord Havoc. I would ask you for proof, but I neither doubt you nor do I desire to spend any more time with long explanations. By your account the elves were not man's benefactors, but rather his taskmasters. You truly see things upside down, Lord Havoc. But when historians make their tales stand up on end, upside down may be where the truth lies hidden. But what on earth could be the purpose of all of this talk of Naming Stones and Elven powers?'

  Lord Havoc smiled and sat down in his seat.

  Chapter VIII:

  Power and Desire

  Power

  'We have already spoken at length about power,' Lord Havoc continued. 'Most men live their entire lives in secret pining. They do not have what they love, the hate what they have. They want their neighbor's wife, they want their master's wealth or their swine's contentment. In everything they set their hands to do they find themselves unhappy. What is man but a bundle of desires? And what are those desires but unfulfilled?

  'Every man is born with the power to take what he wants from anybody he wishes to take it from. But every man is also born with the power to prevent others from taking from them. The result is justice, as I have already described it to you. Justice is nothing more than a compromise between what we want to take and what we don't want to lose. We bow our heads to the property of others so that they will bow their heads to ours. We walk away from our neighbor's property in safety; but we do not walk away contented. Nothing has been done by Justice to gain us the objects of our wishes. We have preserved our lives, but we have not lived them.

  'It is without a doubt that all men desire to do injustice. And by nature all men MUST do injustice to survive. We take from animals when we eat and the animals take from the grass and the trees. Where there is life, there is injustice. This is the law of nature: consumption, destruction, selfishness. And if Nature has so designed us, what need have we of justice? The animals have no such notion. Man has been endowed with a more powerful imagination, and that might very well explain his difference in this area. In the end, man comes to believe in Justice, forgetting that it was he that invented it.

  'I would have us return to our infancy and remember what we were designed by nature to do. To want; to take. If you do not do these things, then you are not human. You are as imaginary as your virtues.

  'What of the rest of mankind? If they are content to live their lives bound by their own lies, then so be it. It is all the better for us. Let them be like the Noble wolves of Heyan who mind their own domain, and we will be like the Fell Black wolves who took both portions for themselves. The former will pass away like a dream in the night, while the latter will reign over the bones of his enemies.

  'So why do I speak of the Naming Stone? And of Elven Powers? You are wise enough to know that if mankind is united in any task, they will accomplish it without fail, however difficult it might seem. And it would be no difficult task for an army of men to overcome a single man. Were we to march out this day and do exactly as we please, we would find ourselves surrounded by more enemies than we could imagine. If I take this woman here, and this chest of golden coins there, my enjoyment would be over quicker than I could comprehend. That is why men labor for so many long years. They hope to maintain the compromise of justice and somehow rise above it to enjoy the fruits of their hard work without danger. But more often than not they will die before they ever attain that security. And for many people such security is as fleeting as the rewards of a hunted brigand. To what purpose is it to live either way?

  'If we want to do as we please, we must be stronger than those that would stop us. And if they combine to be a
company of men, we must be stronger than that company. But it will soon happen that they will form such an invincible beast of men that there will be no escaping their wrath. Men do justice because they fear the Beast's wrath, not because they are just. We must, therefore, become more powerful than the Beast itself.'

  Volthamir whispered, 'Hence the Naming Stone,' he put his hand on his chin and began to think. He suddenly looked up at Lord Havoc and asked, 'Why didn't Lord Falruvis save himself?'

  'What do you mean?' Lord Havoc asked with a grin.

  'You said that he used the Naming Stone to summon the Aggelos to bring an end to the Arbori Wars. But why didn't he use it when he was besieged for the last time? There is no one so steadfast that they would ignore so great a power when they were in such a state of peril.'

  'Falruvis was wise enough not to entrust the Naming Stone solely to his own authority,' Lord Havoc said soberly. 'He designed an elaborate set of safeguards that would prevent any single hand from laying hold on it, or so he thought. If all of his deputies were not in accord, he could not put his hand on the stone to use its power.'

  'But why would they not help him when they saw the walls of Dadron breeched? Surely there is no better time to make use of such a secret.'

  Lord Havoc grinned, 'Let us just say that not all of his deputies were in accord.'

  'Then he was betrayed,' Volthamir said with a nod. 'That is certainly not written in the histories.'

  'There is much that is not,' Lord Havoc affirmed.

  'So you desire the power of the Naming Stone? Am I correct?' Volthamir said, turning his attention from history to the present.

  'Indeed, and the strength of Dadron as well.' Lord Havoc stood up tall and spoke very clearly. 'If a man possessed at once the Fortress of Dadron and the power of that stone, he would be strong enough to finally have what he desires, without fear of the injustice of others. He would therefore have no more need of justice. He could then pit his own strength against the strength of every other man. The unjust man, or I should rather say the Natural Man, would finally triumph against that imaginary man; against the beast that forms when many rally together to fight for justice. Such a man would be a god.'

  'But how does a man come to possess both of these? The impenetrable fortress of Dadron in the one hand and the mythical Naming Stone in the other. Lord Havoc, I'm afraid that your plan is as imaginary as the Justice you decry,' Volthamir said with a laugh. Lord Havoc grinned and waited for him to finish. 'Suppose you gained these two things, what then? Surely you do not mean to hold fast in Dadron by yourself. That would be as ridiculous as it would be miserable. Can the Naming Stone really be so powerful as to make you invulnerable to all assault?'

  'Laugh if you must, my prince,' Lord Havoc said. 'I have now told you what it is that I desire. And whether it is with your help or not I will take it or perish in the attempt. But I am not overly concerned with your approval. I have worked far longer than you realize to attain my purpose, and it does not hinge upon your opinions. You can accompany me upon my path, but if you will not, I will still walk it. Can the Naming Stone make me invulnerable? Perhaps. But even if it cannot, what power is gained thereby would contribute to my happiness proportionately. But in the least I would have made an effort and reached out my hands toward the goal, not shirking back and turning away from the only things I desire in life. Again, what is life if not desire? And if I deny that desire, do I not commit suicide more truly than a man who cuts his own throat? For such a man kills the body, but the man that turns from his desire, kills his own soul. I know what I desire. But I must ask you again, my prince, what is it that you desire?'

  With that question the prince fell silent.

  'I will tell you something, my prince,' Lord Havoc said with a gleam of wisdom in his eyes. 'You hesitate not because you would not take what you want; you hesitate because as of yet there is nothing that you desire. At least, there is nothing that you desire more than your own skin. Let us lay aside our plotting for the time being. I will put everything into your hands. And when you discover just what it is that you desire, then I will bend all my will towards its fulfillment.'

  'Very well, Lord Havoc,' Volthamir said as he rose from his seat. 'But for now, all that I desire is a good hot meal and some time to think. But for these things the Prince of Amlaman needs not any Elven magic.'

  The Whole Land on Edge

  In those days the whole land of Amlaman was teetering on chaos. While there were many reasons for this, I will limit myself to only the most important.

  First of all, King Vulcan thos Ramlos, now Vulcan thos Amlaman, was an usurper. Despite his wisdom and devotion, and despite his great efforts, he could never escape the consequences of his first regal act.

  Every usurper carries in his own fist the seeds of his own destruction. For when the legitimate ruler of a nation is overthrown, and another put in his place, it can only be by a certain moral acquiescence. All society would fall and all civilization would crumble overnight if it were considered moral to overthrow the legitimate ruler of a land. But this is precisely what occurs when the regal power is usurped by another man. In order to prevent the decline and destruction of all civilization, men must find it in their hearts and minds to excuse their new master by explaining away his rebellion as an act of saving justice.

  So the usual reverence for the regal power is set aside when men want to justify the actions of their new master, whether they justify it out of love or out of fear. They deny regal power to their former master, yet pretend to uphold it for their new. But in justifying the current rebellion, they justify all future rebellions. If it is right for King Vulcan to slay King Voltan, then it is in turn, right for whomever will, to slay King Vulcan. Whether King Vulcan is a wicked king or not is really quite irrelevant in this regard, all that matters is that there be some within his kingdom that believe it to be so. Because if it is true that it is good to overthrow a wicked man, it will make no difference whether the rebels are right or not, all that is required on their part is the mere belief that their ruler is evil. To expect anything different would be to expect men to act in opposition to their consciences, which is absurd. By his very ascension, King Vulcan sanctions rebellion, and thereby sanctions rebellion against himself. Such was the reasoning of the enemies that rose up against the King of Amlaman in those days.

  No king can avoid falling under the approbation of some portion of their subjects. And since that is the case, no king could avoid the second step in this act of reasoning. Kings would be wiser to remove the principle on which the reasoning rests, and demonstrate to their people that such an act of rebellion is no man's duty. They should teach their people to believe that it is a man's duty to serve their protectors, no matter their own sentiments.

  But since kingdoms very seldom arise without injustice, usurpers must always resort to sophistical deceptions to justify their own grab at power. Once their rebellion is allowed, however, future rebellions become inevitable. So long as there are malcontented citizens, there will be rebellions. And this is at least part of the reason that no nation and no single government or line of kings endures forever among men. For to gain the power in the first place, men condone the actions of those who would gain that same power from them in turn.

  I have already said that it had become a doctrine in Amlaman that a wicked king could, without justice, be slain and replaced. And this doctrine was originally devised to cast King Vulcan as a savior and hero. But as time wore on, his popularity faded and he too fell under the hatred and resentment of some. And as a result of his own doctrine, he therefore fell under their condemnation.

  The men of the western marches of Amlaman were the most discontented. They had been sorely treated at the ascension of King Vulcan to the throne of Amlaman. More than thirty of old King Voltan's illegitimate sons and daughters yet lived in the far away reaches of the kingdom. But all that they had was stripped from them when King Vulcan took away their generous pensions.

  General
ly speaking, the western frontiers of Amlaman were never really contented with their ruler in the first place, whether it be Voltan or Vulcan or anyone else for that matter. For a long while they lived under their own authority and by their own means. But several centuries ago they were reconquered by Amlaman and put back under the yoke of Japhrian. Now they answered to the laws of a far away palace, and each year sent caravans filled with tribute far away from their workshops and farms to be enjoyed by men they had never known.

  They knew nothing of Agonistes.

  This was perhaps the most prominent concern of theirs. For they were now required to send to Sten-Agoni, the most beautiful maiden of every territory to serve in the Temple, should High Priest Achil so desire. This they did begrudgingly, acknowledging the authority that the King of Amlaman possessed, but despising him all the more.

  Upon this malcontented land the spirits of chaos descended. Sent by Lord Gheshtik, the petty devils of Amlaman and Ramlos ran about the whole western territory, inciting hard speeches here, and muffled threats there. They led men into dark corners to vent their anger against King Vulcan and his priests. They led women into their cellars and their closets to whisper their secret rebellions to one another. Through the whole land, invisible spirits spread rumors about the King and his court. In turn those rumors spread anger, and that in turn gave birth to rebellion. But by the command of Gheshtik, no deed was done in open sight. All the anger was sown and concealed safely within the breasts of the western peoples.