Mighty Hammer Down
Page 27
He raised his hands to silence the group of men before him. Once again he came to them with knowledge that no other human possessed, and he could see that they hungered for it. On this occasion, he did not stand down on the floor among them, but instead he stood on the altar looking down at his followers. For emphasis, he pushed back his hood to reveal his face. The crowd stared in confusion.
"Brethren," Uritus said, "I bring you news from beyond this realm. While it is true that we failed in controlling the new god of war, we have accomplished the difficult task of merging this world with the world of the gods."
"How can you be sure of this, Red Master?" asked a man beneath him.
Uritus smiled a crooked smile down at his followers. "I know this because less than an hour ago I was visited by a god."
The room erupted in excitement and fear. The men all turned to each other in whispers as Uritus calmly waited for order.
One of the men spoke up. "Which god came to you Red Master? Was it Inshae?"
"Yes Brother, it was Inshae. He has come to us because he requires our service. We are ordered to find the rest of the great artifacts of the gods and bring them here where they will be safe from the eyes and hands of men. He has also ordered that I am to wear his robes when we find them so that he can speak through me and also to enhance my power."
"But Red Master, how are we to find the artifacts? It took us years of searching to find the sword of Arius, and after all that time we spent, you found it on your own."
"Inshae has been kind enough to provide us with assistance. In the tomb of the third Medoran Emperor lies an ancient book with the locations to the artifacts. My memory of Medoran history is not as sharp as it once was, so his name escapes me. But when you find this book beneath his head you will not have any more doubts that Inshae can not only walk this earth, but also that he can converse with me."
"We do not doubt you Red Master. We will find the artifacts for you and our god. If I may ask, what did he look like?"
Uritus ran his hand down his jaw as he considered how to explain what he had seen. "He is not made of dust as we believed he was. He was as solid as you and I, not like a ghost might be. His robes are tattered and not cut neatly like our own. His face is indeed missing a mouth, and in its place there is nothing but bone. And his face is not the bright white skull we imagine. It is dark, almost black. His size is much greater than a man, and he was hovering above the floor when I saw him."
The men all stood silently staring up at him as if they were looking up at Inshae himself. Uritus breathed deep and his eyes sparkled with a drive that the men had never seen before.
"There is no time for this," Uritus said as he pulled his hood back over his head. "The other gods know Arius is gone. We must find the artifacts at once. I want Inshae's robes right away. We must also find the armor of Arius before Rommus Tirinius discovers he has any power. Now go!"