The Punishment Of The Gods (Omnibus 1-5)

by Jake Yaniak

  'What is it now?' Sleep asked him. 'Have you not laughed enough?'

  'I was just thinking,' he said, 'I think Lord Pelas truly believes that he is making us do what we are about to do?'

  'Our words certainly would lead him to believe such a thing,' Sleep replied with regret.

  'We told him not,' Folly laughed to himself, 'That it was fated long before he came to us, that Olver would fall into ruin outside the walls of Dadron.'

  'The fall of Pelas from the heights of pride has been wrought even by his own meddling,' Death said, 'For were he not so presumptuous he would not be able to convince himself that he has authority.'

  Signs of Hope and Fear

  Nearly a full month before Daryas and Revere entered the Amla Gap, Maru the eagle descended upon the Temple of Pelas, much to the delight of the people of the city. Indeed, by some it was deemed to be an omen or a sign that the gods were on their side. Still others, knowing the bird bore a message for Olver, took it at least to be a sign that somebody was on their side; whether they were divine or not they could not discern.

  This, however was not the first such encouragement the men of Dadron received. It had been nearly two years since Olver had arrived, and with him the first rumors of peril. Even as they marched south from Solibree they were overtaken by men of Daevaron riding swiftly to the south. 'Marin sails have been seen on the northern coasts,' they warned. 'They come, by all appearances, for war.' Glad, then, were the refugees to be marching to that mighty citadel of the Ancients. Though their coming was accompanied by this dreadful news, they brought to Dadron a great number of strong young men from Noras.

  Their first act upon arriving was to seek the council of Lord Kardian, the Captain of the guard. Redwin, the old man of Coran-la who was given charge over the refugees, gave to him the staff of Hiron, a token of Biron's alliance with Dadron.

  'Those who are faithful to Cheftan Biron Galvahirne will always find a welcome in Dadron,' he said. 'Were it not for the sons of Galvahir and their fateful courage these walls might not this day be standing.'

  'We are some of us Galvahirne, but mostly we are of mixed company, some Meglalirne, some Coranlirne, even as I am. We are not as mighty and renown as the men of Galva-la, but we are a sturdy people, and we have among us many young men. If you will bear the burden of preparing our youths, we will put under your command all those among us who can draw a bow or lift a spear.'

  To this the Captain of Dadron agreed, and all those who were able were brought into the army of that city; altogether some three hundred dark haired young men of Noras. These men proved to be swift learners and sturdy warriors, earning the respect and friendship of their new allies among the Daevaron.

  This was the first sign given to Olver, as if to say, 'All is not lost.' And for a while he was encouraged thereby. Seeing the might of Dadron and its enormous walls of stone, and seeing now his own people trained and ready for war, he rested content, feeling himself up to the task which lay before him.

  The second sign was the coming of many Daevaron warriors to Dadron. There came Lord Deven from Daeva City with a thousand men, Lord Marsus of Solibree with four-hundred swordsmen, and even from Fahsro there came more than three hundred men of war. These things indeed made it appear as though there was yet strength in Falsis to withstand their enemies.

  Thus for a time Olver was encouraged and he swore allegiance to the City of Dadron, taking Lord Akellnarva, who in that day ruled over the city, as his patron. The lord of the city was well-pleased with Olver, seeing in him an echo of the ancient days, when Galvahir's might struck awe into the hearts of mortal and immortal alike.

  But as the stories began to pour into Dadron of the mysterious creature that marched with the soldiers of Marin, Olver became greatly troubled. He was no coward. It cannot be said that he feared defeat or feared for his own safety. But he was unwilling to wait in hiding for an inevitable death. 'If we are to fall,' he told Lord Kardian, 'they it would be my wish that we might fall in glory, and not hiding beneath the bedsheets of Dadron's great walls.'

  To this Kardian replied, 'Do not fear, master Galvahirne, there will be glory either way. But while we hold fast behind these walls there is hope.'

  'Hope of what?' Olver said. 'That we can withstand them forever? We have not the wisdom of the Ancients, nor do we have the allies of the powerful.'

  'Yet Dadron of old withstood its enemies for a generation, even against the cunning of Lapulia and its wizards. Surely the men of Noras and the men of Daevaron can withstand for a little while.'

  'Against them railed not the monster,' Olver said despondently. 'It is rumored that in every place he goes he slanders my name. An agent of Ponteris he seems in every way to be.'

  'Nay, more likely it is to Marin that Ponteris himself answers,' Kardian said. 'Do not fear the monster, master Galvahirne, He cannot, alone, breach the walls of Dadron.'

  Time passed, and every month seemed to carry with it more dreadful news. The fall of Kolfa, of Lak, and at last the death of noble Ehrmas in Fahsro laid upon Olver's brow a great weight of troubles. When he was told that in Fahsro the monster once more demanded the death of Olver Galvahirne he grew wrathful and said, 'Not long shall I await death in these halls. If it is fated that this brute shall slay me, then I will meet him openly, and not in some secret refuge.'

  'Do not rush to death,' Kardian warned, 'for such rashness is little better than cowardice.'

  But try as he might, Lord Kardian's arguments could only serve to lift his spirits for a moment. As the weight of his responsibilities closed in upon him, Olver would fall again into despair.

  It must be remembered, of course, that the only thing standing between Lord Ponteris and his goal was the life of Cheft Biron. In turn, the only thing that stood between Biron and death was the life of Olver. 'Should Biron fall, there will be no restoration of Noras,' Olver reasoned. 'Nor would there be anything worth restoring, should the virtue of Galvahir be banished entirely.'

  All the while, refugees poured into the city, until the city almost seemed to thrive as it did in the days of the Ancients, when every street was filled with merchants and every house was filled with families. The farmlands that had for all these years been left untended, were broken up and tilled. By the end of the first year such an abundance of food was brought forth from the ground that Lord Akellnarva, despite his troubles, ordered a great feast to be held throughout the city. Sacrifices of bread and wine were offered to Pelas in the temple, and music rose up throughout the city.

  But in all the mirth and merrymaking Olver took no part.

  When some time had passed, Lord Kardian took Olver to the high watchtowers of Dadron. From there he showed him all the lands that surrounded Dadron. 'From here,' he said, 'we can see the ranks and armies of our foes from far off. No one can come against us unawares or without first revealing to us their numbers and their stratagems.'

  Next the Captain of Dadron took him to the great walls and walked with him the length of the northern battlement, a journey that occupied nearly half the day. 'What part of this great wall do you think our enemies shall break, master Galvahirne?' he asked him. 'Within these walls we are as safe as the ghosts of Solsis, we are as hidden as Lord Bralahi of Malgier, and as impervious as Lord Pelas himself, who rules and presides over all that herein takes place.'

  Next Olver was taken to the farmlands of Dadron and shown how all that might be needed could be acquired from Dadron's own soil. 'Long will we withstand our enemies, for they cannot cut us off from our provisions.'

  After this he was shown the barracks of Dadron and all the armies therein. There were, not including the Noras and the refugees from Daevaron, twenty thousand fighting men, and five thousand archers. 'In addition,' Kardian said, 'we have nearly a thousand mounted knights, ready to ride out to war should the need arise. Add to this the strength of the Noras and the men of Daeva who have added their swords to our own, and we will find ourselves sufficient to the task at hand.'

  But f
or all of this, Olver's spirit continued to sink. This was the third sign given to the nephew of Biron.

  The message that Maru brought to Olver read as follows:

  'To the noble Olver Galvahirne, from the hand of his kinsman Dynamis in exile,

  'Hold fast, cousin, for help is not far from you. I send to you Daryas, whom you know well. His sword I trust will bring some comfort to you, and his appearance will boost the spirits of those faithful to our house.

  'Amlaman prepares to march against you from the west, through Amla Gap. But as yet they do not know that the Remnant of Galvahir is hidden in their own lands, even behind their lines. If they march to Dadron, they will find us to be a dagger in their back. You know the strength of my own servants, and you know the strength of the Galvahirne. Take heart, therefore, and remain behind the walls of Dadron until I come to you. Then we will break asunder our enemies.'

  Lord Kardian was of a mind to deliver this news to the masses, so that they might be encouraged. But Olver refused, saying, 'Let us see what the days ahead will bring.' And of course, when Daryas' arrival was delayed, Olver concluded that some ill had befallen him. And when no further message came from Dynamis he judged that no help was to be expected from the sons of Biron. 'We are even as we were before,' he said to the Captain, 'We cannot put our confidence in anything but our own strength. And this will not withstand our enemies forever.'

  'But have we not the fortress of Dadron? Have we not the armies of the same? Have we not the word of Biron's son? Have we not Pelas?'

  'It may be that these things will protect us against the forces of Amlaman. But against the unanswerable might of Marin we cannot hope to prevail forever. Morever,' Olver said, his voice growing cold and grim, 'We cannot as yet be certain that those devils - those Lapulians - are not at all involved in this plotting.'

  'Truly of all men you are the most remarkably somber of heart,' laughed Kardian. 'You will not accept the word of Biron's son who has sent a message to you, yet you fear the evils of Lapulia, though no sign of them has yet been seen! There has never been a truer pessimist!'

  Four signs did Olver receive, and four times he shook himself free from what hope the men of Dadron had. His gloom was such that Lord Akellnarva grew concerned that he might be driven to extravagances when at last the hour of war came upon them. Captain Kardian defended him, however, saying, 'Whatever heaviness weighs upon him, my lord, he lets not the weight of his worries render his sword less sharp or his skills less acute. He will serve Dadron well in the hour of battle, whether he believes that he will survive the ordeal or not.'

  The Enemies of Dadron

  Subtracting as it were from his hope was the ever growing list of perils now facing the men of Dadron, and the Galvahirne in particular. First there were the wicked men of Noras who had, with Ponteris, overthrown the Galvahirne and imprisoned his uncle. Not without great bloodshed, Olver believed, could their hold on Noras be loosed. With his own meager force such an endeavor was impossible. But the restoration of Noras was far from his mind - he took more thought of the survival of the Galvahirne and their allies than their revenge. But as Natham raged in the eastern part of Falsis and as the armies of Ollitov camped about Dadron, his hopes were defeated. 'This beast may as well be the dark god himself,' he said, conjuring up the imagery of his people.

  Added to this was the coming of Volthamir, who had taken upon himself once more the name of Aganthos, which his mother had given him on the day of his birth. Rumors had long ago reached Dadron of his prowess in battle and the fear he had instilled in the Goblins of Daufina. More daunting than the names of his enemies, however, were their numbers. The spies of Dadron counted in the ranks of Marin's army more than twenty thousand soldiers, well-armed and well-trained for war. Besides these there were almost thirty thousand hirelings, and more pouring into Falsis every month. From the west there marched, it was believed, some fifteen-thousand warriors of Ramlos and Amlaman. But this was not yet their full strength. For in the west the greater part of their army yet resided, keeping the frontiers at peace and the last half-heirs of Voltan besieged. Even should the fortress weather these warriors, it is certain that they would not long survive should the Marshals of West Amlaman be summoned to the fight. No sign or whisper as yet had been spoken regarding the great City of Lapulia, and whether or not they were in any way involved in this campaign. Olver could only shut his eyes and beseech the heavens that the wizards of that land would not be numbered among his enemies. 'Yet it is impossible for me to believe that they would not wish to tear some meat from our carcass ere the end comes,' Olver said as he pondered their dire situation.

  Help could no longer be sought for in Daevaron, for it was under the heel of Marin and what warriors it could spare were already gathered behind Dadron's gates. Kollun, the democracy, could not be counted upon for help. 'More than likely,' Olver told the Captain of Dadron, 'they will send an envoy to Marin deploring in the strongest words (and weakest actions) the raping of Daevaron. But that, as all things in Kollun, will depend on whither the people's fancy takes them. What allies we have therein may well be ousted from their stations ere any help arrives.' The Noras were committed in the very least to remain aloof from Dadron's plight. But there was also a danger, should the siege prove overly difficult, that Ponteris would in the end commit warriors and help to the enemies of the Noras refugees. 'The betrayer cannot be counted upon to cease from his betrayals,' Olver said to himself as he paced upon the walls and battlements of Dadron.

  Titalo, the city of mercenaries and pirates from whence the ancient Daevaron had first emigrated, could not be looked to for aid. Unless Dadron's diminished treasury could compete with the might and wealth of Amlaman and Marin alike, Titalo could only be seen as a potential enemy.

  Thus it was that Olver found himself, on the last night of Florhus, watching the army of Amlaman form itself into ranks and companies under the blue moon. Great peril beset him, great burdens lay upon his shoulders, and he would suffer no hope to remain within his heart.

  Olver Galvahirne

  On the first day of Solest, the armies of Amlaman at last arrived in Falsis. They marched without relent to join their allies on the fields and hills surrounding Dadron. Seeing their approach from the watchtowers, Lord Kardian ordered the last of the gates to be shut and locked.

  The city of Dadron was built, as has been said, upon an enormous hill in the center of the great valley of Falsis where the Libron River and the Falsi River were wed. The length of the city was almost twelve leagues, and the width almost ten. So great were its walls that the River itself was taken in beneath them and carried through the city in a series of vast aqueducts, pouring at last in artificial falls into the Lake of Ruvai, which stretched for eighteen leagues to the east. At the end of this lake the waters were allowed to resume their course, descending toward the the Kollun Sea and the city of Kolfa.

  The city had five walls altogether. The first encircled the whole city, save for a few towns and villages that had grown up without the walls in days of peace. The main gate of Dadron opened up to the southern fields of Agalan, where many towns had been built and many roads paved. The first act of Volthamir was to raze these to the ground, slaying all those who were too sickly or too stubborn to flee to the citadel itself. For fifteen days the cities and towns burned, until it seemed as though the whole world had become a wasteland. The smoke rose up on the wind and choked the guards upon the walls of Dadron. The heat from the fire sent cruel winds over the city, adding a dreadful sting to the heat of summer.

  'The world is come to an end,' Olver said as he stood beside Kardian on the southern wall. 'What is there to be done? What can we hope for now, but to make an end of ourselves with honor and dignity?'

  'We might hope to survive long enough to see whether Dynamis will come,' Kardian answered.

  'I don't think he will come,' Olver said. As he spoke Kardian's heart sunk, for he could hear, as it were, the voice of Death himself speaking.

  In t
he end, Folly had his way, and on the twenty-seventh day of the siege, Olver told the Lord of the city that it was his intention to challenge the might of their enemies on the battlefield, rather than, 'await death hiding beneath the bedlinens.'

  Lord Akellnarva was wroth with him, but his words could not prevail, despair had wholly taken up residence in his heart, and there was naught that the Lord of the City could say to encourage him. 'I will tell you what hope I have,' Olver said, 'If I am given the strength of a god, and the help of heaven, as Dadron received long ago, then it may be that we will be given victory today. But we are more prudent than to expect such things in our time.'

  'No man of Dadron may you bring beyond the walls,' Lord Akellnarva said sorrowfully. 'If you will forsake all hope and march to death, then you will do it only with those who are of like mind. But you will from this day command no man or woman of Dadron. It may be that we will all perish, but it may also be that the word of Dynamis will prove true, and help will come to Dadron. For my part, and for the part of my people, we will cling to that hope. What else is there but hope, when all else falls dark?'

  'You speak of hope, my lord, but I see none,' Olver answered. 'Do you hope for aid from Kollun, who has been late to every perilous hour because of their double-minded masters? Do you hope for help from Titalo, the land of pirates and mercenaries? Do you see the men of Noras mustering for your defense, as they did in the ancient days? It may be, my lord, that one of these will give us help. But it is not likely. It is more probable that we will die here alone and without help.'

  'What of Dynamis?' the Lord of the city asked.

  'What of him? Is he not likewise an uncertain ally? What is true of our allies will more than likely prove true of him as well. It is more probable that he will not come at all; and if he does come it is unlikely that he will be able so much as to put a notch in the armor of Amlaman.'