Mighty Hammer Down

by David J Guyton

"I can't see your face at all, Red Master. It's as if you are standing in shadow."

  "Is it just because of the large hood, or is it something else?" Uritus asked.

  "No, it's not the hood. I can't see anything at all. It's hard to explain. It's not exactly darkness I see, it's just that your face is obscured; even when light falls upon it. It reminds me of looking into a dark pond."

  "Interesting. When I come across a mirror I shall have to look in it," Uritus said as he looked down at the sacred robes of his god. In all the commotion over the past few days, he was unable to even try them on. Finally he found time to return to the room where they were found and wear them. It was odd clothing to say the least; the inside did not seem to be made of fabric at all, but rather some sort of strange blackness. It was almost as if the inside of the robes was made of shadow, his fingers unable to feel it. The sight was very disorienting, so he did not examine it for very long. Instead he had pulled the strange robes over his head and finally completed the task that his god had given him. At last he wore the robes of Inshae.

  After a short time, he realized why the insides of the robe were so strange. As he wore them, he could feel the gentle hum of power from the world between worlds against his skin. Obviously the inky blackness hidden beneath the fabric was somehow connected to that world, and he could feel the power waiting there for his command. He also realized that he was aware of that world in a new way; he could feel where all the souls resided, not just the few souls he was able to pick out before. It was like he had a vast knowledge of an intricate map of some foreign land, but a land he had never been to.

  Suddenly he felt an odd tingle. It was the same feeling he had on the day that Inshae had come to him. He searched the room but saw nothing. Immediately he yelled to the Mage in the room, thinking he was the reason for Inshae not revealing himself. "Leave me at once!"

  The Mage did as he was told, and an instant later the form of Inshae hovered above the statue in the center of the room. The purple light from the magical floor tiles lit the god in such an eerie way that even Uritus was a little frightened of the sight. He pulled the hood off his head and gently laid it back over his shoulders before bowing his head.

  I see that you have found the robes. Have you found any other artifacts?

  "Yes Inshae, we have also found the armor of Arius. We found only the arm guards, but I believe that there are no other pieces to the armor."

  You are correct, Medoran. There is more to the armor, but not in this world. You have done well so far. I did not expect you to find these things so quickly.

  "I do my best to serve you, Inshae. Why have you come to me?"

  I could feel that you wore my robes. I came to see that it was true. I also come to tell you that the gods are now fully aware that Arius is dead, and Oderion has been using the god of life to contact Rommus Tirinius through dreams.

  "You mean that the gods know what I have done? They know that Rommus is now the god of war and they are communicating with him?"

  No, not exactly. The gods can speak to humans through dreams, but it is very difficult when they do not know who they are trying to speak to. The gods are not as aware of events in this world as you might think. It is typical for a human to believe that a god knows every thought in his tiny little mind, but such things are impossible. I am the only god who is aware of the name of the human who is now the god of war, and the name of the human who killed Arius.

  Uritus stared up at the massive robed being above him; almost a mirror image of his own smaller form. "I understand, master. What is your next command? What do you want me to do?"

  It is important that we eliminate the threat of the god of war. The other gods will soon realize that there are only two men left in the world with the proper bloodline. When they do, they will panic and probably destroy this world before allowing the scales to be tipped in my direction. There is no telling what Oderion will do, but we must kill Rommus Tirinius before he realizes the full weight of this threat.

  "But master, how can we find him? And when we find him, how can we be sure that we can actually kill him? He is a god, at least in some respects."

  Yes that is true, but as I said before he is also a man. Find your most trusted follower, but one who is strong and experienced in killing. Tell him to put on the armor of Arius. The armor will be dormant most of the time, but he will be able to summon the armor when he needs it. This will allow him to find Rommus without drawing attention to himself by wearing the armor in the open.

  "But how will he be able to kill Rommus?"

  He will need to find a way. The armor cannot be pierced by any weapon made by man or god, so he will be safe from the sword of Arius which Rommus carries. He must kill him and retrieve the sword.

  Uritus paused for a moment. "I must admit that I am hesitant to grant any of my men such great power. Is it possible for a man wearing that armor to do me harm?"

  I will grant you immortality for your protection, but only while you wear these robes. I will ensure that the man you choose does not have the same power, but he will still have the protection of the armor of Arius. You must choose the man carefully. It must be someone you trust.

  "Thank you for the gift of immortality, master. It is truly an honor. But you never told me how to find Rommus. He could be anywhere."

  I do not know where he is at this time. However the man who wears the armor will feel a pull to the sword of Arius. Unfortunately Rommus will also feel the armor in this way as soon as your follower wears it. But even without these artifacts, it is not hard to guess where Rommus is going. The gods call him to the Land of the Gods. Send your follower directly to the Columns of Inshae so that he can meet him there and kill him before he crosses into that land. Then you must also kill his father, but I will not have you attempt to raise him as the new god of war in place of his son. Just kill him. Once they are both dead the balance of power will shift to the dark gods and I can complete my plan in destroying Oderion.

  "I will send a man at once. I have a follower named Denura who is perfect for the task. He will not fail us and I trust him completely."

  The form of Inshae began to fade as its tattered robes whipped in an unfelt wind. Then send him at once and waste no more time. Do not fail me.

  Uritus smiled to himself as he watched Inshae fade from the real world. When his ghostly form vanished he immediately turned and left the room, the purple glow from the floor turning to blackness as he left. He needed to find Denura and send him on his mission right away if he was going to be able to reach Rommus before he got to the Land of the Gods. Rommus was already weeks ahead of him, but he hoped that he was confused by the dreams and unsure of where the gods wanted him to go. If he was in a hurry, he should have been there already, so he was most likely not aware that there was any urgency. There was probably still time to intercept him, but time was running out.