Mighty Hammer Down
Page 75
Chapter 37
The cool autumn breeze did its best to sweep the streets of the leaves speckling the city with their fiery colors. With all of his troubles, he had not really noticed the seasons changing, and he was sorry to see summer go. Soon winter would come to blanket the land in its icy silence, smothering crops and happiness and slowing time for all those who longed for spring. It was a price that everyone had to pay; wealthy and poor alike.
After a full day of bloody battle, the sun was finally sinking towards the western horizon, shedding the last of its warming rays before allowing the moon to rule the night. That same sun and moon and their eternal journeys were attributed to Oderion, but Rommus knew better. He understood how they worked, and he wondered if Oderion was gifted with that same knowledge. Something in his soul told him that the gods did not care to know such things.
"This is what you wanted to show me?" Tannis asked. "A temple in Burnhamheade?"
Rommus pointed. "Turn around and look between the columns."
He could not see his father's expression when he saw the shimmering images of distant lands between the columns of the temple, but he could imagine what he was thinking. It was still new in his own mind, and it was just as incredible and unbelievable as the first time he saw it. He knew that his father would take him more seriously if he showed him something magical; he just hoped that he would believe him.
Tannis turned around to face him. "What trickery is this?"
"It is no trick, Master Tannis. These are the portals of the gods," Vohl said.
Tannis began to speak, but Rommus spoke first. "I want to give you something father." He reached in his pocket and held out his hand. "This is just ordinary sand in this velvet bag, but it means something to me. It's something I took to remind me of when I overcame a fear, but I want it to mean something different to you.
"This sand is from the Land of the Gods. I have crossed a bridge that was never meant to be crossed, and I have become something that I should not be. The things I have seen recently have changed me, and I don't want the things you are about to see to change you. Keep this sand and remember your beliefs about the Land of the Gods and the gods who live there. You are the man you are because of your beliefs. I don't want you to have to change them."
"I'm supposed to hold to my beliefs about the Land of the Gods, but I'm supposed to change how I feel about this Vindyri who tried to kill me?"
Alana stepped forward. "I changed my beliefs about you General Tirinius. I ask you and your son for forgiveness, but I do not expect it. When you captured me I kept my name a secret, fearing that you would remember the names of my father and brothers and know that I was seeking revenge. I was very young when they were killed in battle, but that loss has made me who I am today. With every negative there is a positive. Everything is built on balance."
Remarkably, a smile came to Tannis's face. "I forgive you, Vindyri. You have proven your worth since your mistake. You'll have to forgive me as well, for I do not remember those names; I can hardly remember the names of my own Commanders.
"But I must correct your logic. Nothing is built on balance. You will hear the endless echoes of empty-headed philosophers and self-righteous fools who preach about balance being the key to everything, but they know nothing. It is imbalance that allows the wolf to kill its prey. It is imbalance that allows an army to win a war. A world that is balanced is stagnant; imbalance is progression."
Her eyebrows knotted. "But what about the balance between predator and prey? What about how the predator eventually dies and feeds the soil so that the prey has food to eat?"
"You really think that one dead wolf makes up for all the animals it kills in its lifetime? Think about it; the only things that matter are things that end up tipping the scales in one direction or another. It's how problems are solved and nations are built. There is no balance in this world, no matter what philosophers tell you."
Rommus cleared his throat loudly. "None of this has anything to do with what I am trying to show you father."
"And what is it you are trying to show me, my son? That the gods are real and these portals are proof? I need no such display to reinforce my faith."
Rommus looked in his father's eyes for a moment, half impressed with his unwavering faith and half saddened by his blind devotion. He had no idea what the truth was, and yet here he was, standing tall, certain that his way was the only way. It was going to hurt him to find out that things were not as he thought and that his son was now a god. Rommus didn't say anything but walked down the row of columns, looking for the portal to Brinn. When he found it, what he saw made his eyes go wide and his stomach drop. He ran into the glowing portal, hoping that the others sensed his alarm and followed him.
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