Wrath of the Risen God: Arcane Renaissance Book Three

by Tim Paulson

  “We do but the tower comes first. The bumbling humans and their companies are one thing. The return of the dingir must be opposed.”

  “Dingir?” she asked.

  “It means Gods,” Vex replied. “Put me down here.”

  She did, placing him in front of a series of mausoleums.

  “Your people were very humble,” Celia said.

  Vex shook his head. “You have no idea,” he said, looking up at the sky. Though the light snow had stopped it was still overcast. “This will do. They don't like the sun.”

  Celia nodded. “So what do we do?”

  “This,” he replied, drawing a series of symbols in the air.

  Celia gasped. They were visible now. It was just as if she was wearing veil goggles.

  Vex chuckled. “I knew you'd be glad to see.”

  There was a light green flash as he finished the swirling symbol. “As long as I am bound I cannot explain these symbols to you... but I can say that I'm not using the tower.”

  “Why is that? Wait.. you can use it?”

  “It makes things far easier, does things for you. However, the tower knows who uses it as does the tower's owner. We Salmu learned long ago that it was prudent to do things the hard way.”

  “For me, the hard way comes naturally,” Celia said.

  Vex narrowed his eyes. “Was that an innuendo?”

  She smiled.

  A sound from her left drew Celia's attention. Instinctively her hands went to her sides, where she used to keep her knives. There was nothing there, however, nothing but the torn and abused dress she'd received from Ina.

  It was a ghoul, a large one. Behind it was another. There were three on her right as well, climbing out of crevices that seemed far too small for their size. The creatures were human in their shape and how they moved, but the long sharp noses, rows of pointed teeth, and above all, the blood-red eyes, gave them a horrifying appearance. Most of them wore clothes as well, shreds of them anyway, likely taken from the dead.

  “I don't have any knives...” she said.

  “I know,” Vex replied. “That's on my list.”

  Celia's eyes widened. “Your list? I need them now!”

  Vex waved an arm at her. “No, you don't.”

  There were ghouls behind her now too. Small ones with little hands that reached toward her, thin clawed fingers waving in the air like eels.

  “Vex!” she exclaimed as three sets of claws raked softly along the back and sides of her cloak, making the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

  “Relax,” he said.

  She looked around, the crowd had grown now... some thirty ghouls had surrounded them. The largest approached Vex. It was as tall as a large man but much thinner with long arms and fingers that would hang below the knees were the creature not clutching them together as if holding something precious. It stood over Vex, looking down, long stringy gray hair dangling in its face.

  A guttural sound came from this creature, causing Celia to nearly jump. It sounded like a man clearing his throat only it kept going and going.

  Finally, there was a pause and the creature knelt before them.

  “I appreciate your struggles. You have done well,” Vex said to him. “May I ask for a donation.”

  Claws were still touching Celia's cloak as the younger ghouls circled around behind her.

  “What... is... happening...” she asked, holding her breath.

  The head ghoul, who Celia was pretty sure was actually female, had raised her arms, fingers splayed. More guttural grunts and chortles followed. Then her red eyes moved left and right, inspecting all the other ghouls.

  It didn't take long for the crowd to part. A truly wretched-looking creature limped forward. Its teeth were missing, its white skin slack, even the eyes were not so much red as nearly black, with mottled clotted clumps. It's left leg had been broken long ago and healed poorly, the foot faced to the side. The right arm was missing completely, terminating in a ragged stump just past the elbow.

  This creature slowly made its way toward Vex where it bent down, prostrating itself before his tiny form.

  “Wha-” Celia said.

  Vex looked back at her. “Hush, this is important.” Then he stepped forward and placed one of his doll hands on the head of the creature while his right hand made more green symbols.

  “Sa belet ersetim ki'am parsusa," Vex said. "Sittu erset la tari."

  There was a green flash and the old ghoul collapsed.

  Suddenly all those around her let out a noise like the crackling of dried paper, making Celia jump.

  Vex turned to her. "Celia, please remove my stone and place it in this ghoul."

  "But where do I-" she didn't have to finish for the tall leader had bent down and used one single claw to cut a three-inch slash in the back of the other's neck. No blood trickled from it. It was almost like the creature had none.

  Vex turned around, showing her his back.

  She sighed and untied the back of the little doll. Kev had done a good job on it, maybe too good because she couldn't figure out the knot and had to rip it open. She took the green stone and slid it into the red hole in the back of the creature's neck. The hole then sealed itself.

  The ghoul jerked once, twice. Then it sat up.

  "That... feels much better," Vex said, though his voice was a little slurred because broken teeth were dropping from his mouth. As Celia watched, new ones were replacing them. The ghoul's eyes were clearing as well, becoming the bright vibrant red of all the others.

  This was the Vex she knew.

  All the ghouls around her crackled again, shaking their hands. Was this... a celebration?

  "Thank you," Vex said. "I have further needs... Can you help us?"

  The lead ghoul bowed low before him. No guttural language was necessary. The meaning was clear.

  "I have a need for bones," he said. "As many as possible. And this girl has a need for weapons."

  The ghoul looked up and smiled, showing rows of needle-sharp teeth.

  Vex looked at her, his thin body still straightening, the skin clearing. Even his right arm appeared to be growing back, bit by bit. All he needed now were robes and a wide-brimmed hat and he would be exactly as he was when she first met him. Vex appeared to be thinking much the same. The clawed fingers of his intact left hand were running along the ripped threads of the shredded clothing that adorned his new ghoul body.

  "It would seem," he said. "They are willing."

  Celia smiled. "That makes two of us."

  * * *

  It had taken all day for Thira to make it into the Pyrolian palace of Dridar. It was a massive structure that towered over the city with high walls built in the style of the castles here: angular, sharp, straight. She'd scaled the wall, not once, but twice, and snuck deep into the bowels of the structure, sure she would find Robert and Wilhelm chained in the dungeon. They were not there, however. Nor were they in the guardhouses, or the holding cells.

  Thira had avoided patrol after patrol of guards, courtiers, entertainers, and scores of servants, in order to cover as much of the palace as possible. She'd listened to private conversations about important affairs of state, pointless gossip, and even dirty jokes, yet still she'd found herself utterly stymied. It was blind luck that found her crouching above a window when a courtesan discussed the queen's choice of dress for the recent knighting of a certain Lord Casimir and Thira nearly fell from the roof.

  Lord Casimir? How? But...

  Finally, she found him, heard him really, in the great hall at that evening's dinner. He was guffawing because of some joke. Wilhelm's laugh was unmistakable to Thira's ears, like a beacon. So she followed, slipped into the room, and revealed herself.

  There he was seated next to the queen of Pyrolia, laughing.

  "Wilhelm!" she said. "What are you doing here?"

  Pyrolian guards bearing veil tipped halberds appeared from every corner of the room. Their captain leveled a pistol in her face.

 
"Stop right there!" the captain said.

  "Ha!" said another familiar voice.

  Her eyes flicked over to find Robert, dressed in finery like she'd never seen.

  "Thira!" Wilhelm said. "I'm surprised it took you this long."

  She glared at him. "I expected you to be in the dungeon."

  Wilhelm laughed at that. The queen laughed as well, putting her hand on his shoulder.

  What was going on here?

  The queen motioned to the guard captain. "It's alright Marius, she may be a bit dingy but she's welcome."

  "Dingy!" Thira said.

  Servants made space for her at the table. Not near enough to Wilhelm to even speak to him. Robert was to her right, however. She eyed him.

  "What is going on here?"

  "You should eat, the food is excellent," he said. "And I would suggest some wine as well if you do ever indul-"

  "I don't!" she snapped, sitting down.

  "Well then..."

  "Get on with it! Why are you not in the dungeon?"

  "I often wonder these things myself. Having been in one for... quite some time... it has given an appreciation for every moment that I spend outside... especially when I'm next to someone so beautiful."

  Thira narrowed her eyes at him. "If you don't get to the point, I will tear your arms from your body and use them to beat you."

  Robert's mouth twisted into a funny sort of smile as if she amused him. It only made her angrier.

  "Would the lady enjoy an aperitif?" a servant asked her.

  Thira opened her mouth to say no but Robert beat her to it.

  "Yes she would," he snapped. "A large one."

  Thira pursed her lips. "Tell me what happened. Now."

  "Fine fine... The thing is. I'm not exactly sure myself." He took a long sip from a largely empty goblet of bright red wine.

  "Are you drunk?" she asked him.

  Robert waved his hand. "No... of course not," he replied, though his head nodded yes.

  Thira sighed. "Please... tell me."

  "Well... As you know Rosa sold us out the moment I got to the docks. They even stole the cargo right off my ship, brought it here with... with... goliaths I think. Then we rode here in chains. I thought we were going straight to the dungeon if we were lucky, the hangman's noose otherwise. I was... sad about that."

  Thira nodded slowly. "No doubt. And?"

  "Well... instead of bringing us into a dungeon, they gave us rooms. They gave us baths, clothes, and a whole lot of truly excellent wine. It was like I was in heaven... I couldn't believe it. Now, this feast... it's exquis... eh... exquisif... It's great. Seriously, try that meaty thing there."

  "I will. I promise," she replied. "So nothing else? Nothing to tell you why Wilhelm is currently seated next to the queen."

  "Yeah... he is! She's had her hands all over him too, I could tell. I think... I think it goes both ways."

  Thira frowned. "He seduced her?"

  Robert shrugged "I don't know how... We rode together to Dridar. Then when we arrived it wasn't like... there was an audience... Straight to the baths."

  Thira looked at the queen. She was beautiful as human females went, but easily twenty years older than Wilhelm in his current state. Perhaps she preferred younger men? But why do all this before even meeting with him? None of it made any sense.

  "Why does she not look like a Pyrolian?" Thira asked. The queen's skin was extremely light, not at all like the many golden-skinned dark-eyed humans she'd seen since she'd landed.

  "I dunno," Robert replied, downing the last of his wine.

  A hand touched Thira's arm from her left.

  "You should keep your voice down," a dark-eyed woman said. "It is common knowledge here at court that queen Teresa Anna is of the Hapsenberg family, but we try not to mention it aloud. The queen is quite sensitive to those sorts of discussions."

  "Thank you," Thira replied before her nose identified the speaker.

  "Rosa?" Thira asked. The young woman looked completely different in the courtly dress. Even her usual smell had been well covered by several layers of perfume. It was the wooden leg that caught in Thira's nose. Apparently there hadn't been time to replace it.

  "Yes," she replied somewhat flatly.

  "You've heard my questions then? You must know the answers."

  Rosa did not respond. Instead, she looked away, with a poorly disguised look of dismay pulling at the corners of her mouth.

  Whatever Wilhelm had done, Rosa was not happy about it.

  "I have an announcement!" the queen said, standing at the head of the long ornate gilded table.

  "As you all know, I have decided that our new knight Wilhelm Casimir the second, son of the late King Casimir of Faustland and the true king of that land, shall lead a contingent of our best goliaths to relieve our Tian ally, The Holy Ganex Empire in their battle against the armies of his former country. I wish at this time to dedicate a toast to him and to his brave companion Captain Robert McCarron who will be leading the fighting ships that will break the blockade of this so-called "republic."

  Thira looked at Robert, surprised.

  "Yeah... I said I'd do it. They got me drunk first. How could I say no?" Robert asked.

  "So please, Tian sons and daughters of Pyrolia, raise your glasses and bid them victory!"

  Three dozen Pyrolian nobles stood in perfect harmony, their wine goblets high.

  "Victory! Victory! Victory" they chanted in unison.

  Thira could not believe what was happening.

  * * *

  Though light snow kept falling, the running feet of scores of Ganex knights had churned the ground into thick viscous mud. In some ways it reminded Mia of her recent past. Her experiences with Vex, the white-robed sorcerer, Christine's constant need for control, even her memories lost and then found again. Though a smooth covering of snow would cover up the mud with a layer of tranquility, that riotous brown hell was the truth, and that was just fine. Mia was tired of forgetting the past. It was time to accept it all, the good, and the bad of it.

  Ahead she spotted three heavy goliaths standing in a row. One was a Valkyrie that Mia recognized immediately. It wasn't the look of it really, the chassis was the same as any other sharp-looking Valkyrie. No, it was the stance that gave Marian away. She always looked ready, as if an attack could come at any second. Mia loved that about her. It reminded her of herself.

  Even the new Ganex uniform wasn't enough to hide Mia from Marian's gaze. The goliath flinched when it saw her and then started bouncing up and down with excitement.

  Mia held her arms up. "Alright! Alright! I'm here. I see you!"

  Marian bent down, holding out her hand to bear Mia up and into the rider's compartment. No doubt she had questions... like where had Mia been for three months?

  "Mia!" called a voice from behind her.

  Giselle.

  Damn, she thought, grimacing.

  Mia put a hand on Marian's great stone thumb. "One moment," she said.

  Marian tilted her head, looking frustrated.

  Giselle ran up to her, face flushed, panting.

  "Why are you at the front?" Mia asked. "I specifically asked for you to be moved into the city where it's safe."

  Giselle frowned. "So it's your fault."

  "What do you mean my fault? A battlefield is not the place for you, for anyone. Spirits will be freed and horrors will follow. I'm trying to protect you."

  "I can protect myself!" Giselle said.

  Mia rubbed her temple with a gloved finger. The girl's words were so obviously wrong. What would be the point of contradicting them?

  "Where are the people assigned to spirit you away?"

  "The Ganex junior officers? I gave them the slip," Giselle said, narrowing her eyes. "You're wearing a Ganex uniform Mia... What are you even doing here? Why defend their capital from Faustland?"

  "I don't know if you noticed but they just treated your fever and carted you across the border to keep you safe, knowing who you are."


  "I don't care. They invaded our lands. They're not our friends."

  "There is no Halett barony Giselle. It's gone. Aeyrdfeld was in flames when we left. Now the people who used cannons to destroy the towers of your home have decided to come here and they're led by monsters..." Mia paused. Giselle wasn't even listening to her. She was looking away to the west, tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

  Giselle looked at her. "I spoke... I spoke to that Greta girl. She said that you thought..." her lip quivered. "That Aaron could be saved."

  "Maybe... I don't know."

  Giselle fell to her knees before her, splashing the mud. Her hands grabbed for Mia's red Ganex cloak. "Please..." Giselle cried. "Please bring him back to me. This baby... It's his..."

  Mia's lips pressed together. She was trying to be compassionate. Giselle was with child, she'd been through so much. It felt wrong to chastise her. Still, Mia felt embarrassed. Sylvie was looking on from the distance with a quizzical expression, as was Marian, though the goliath wasn't terribly judgmental.

  "I know," Mia said, tentatively placing a hand on Giselle's shoulder. "I'll do my best. Just please... go to Magenberg. Get inside the walls. I need to know you're safe."

  "Why are you kneeling in mud?" Piotr asked, walking up. He was being followed by two Ganex junior officers. He turned around to them. "See? I told you I find."

  Actually Mia was glad to see the weaselman. "Will you go, Giselle?"

  Giselle sniffed back her tears. "Yes... Just... Be careful. Find him and bring him home."

  "I will," she said. Knowing it was unlikely, perhaps even impossible. Not to mention there was no home left to go to. "Piotr," she said.

  "Yes?" he replied while helping Giselle up from the mud.

  "Do you know any remedies for consumption?"

  Piotr tilted his head. "You are looking fine. Smelling is... not great, but looking is good."

  "Not for me... for Claus, the man in charge of this formation."

  "Oh," Piotr replied, scratching his head with one of his short arms. He had to bend down his long neck to accomplish it. It was an odd thing to witness. "I... can try something. Elzbieta knows this better. I am only a student of a few things."