The Game of the Gods

by C G Gaudet

  After a moment of watching Willow struggle to follow the wall with her hands and stumbling over every step, Frejha turns to me with an expectant look as though she thinks I should do something to help. I grip the blade in my pocket, nearly cutting my fingers before I find the hilt, and stay back. No way I’m going to open myself up for an attack from who knows what just to help Willow walk. She’ll manage on her own.

  Frejha shakes her head as though she thinks she can shame me, then goes over and takes Willow’s arm, guiding her through the rubble and to the several inches of liquid lining the floor of the large sewers. I happily let them take the lead and stay several steps behind, ready for whatever might happen next.

  Although mostly I watch our backs, expecting Heather to show up at any moment, my gaze starts focusing more in front the longer we walk through the curving tunnels.

  It doesn’t take long for my boots to soak through with muck sloshing inside all the way up my shin. My dress is infused with the stinking muck, making it heavy as it twists between my legs with each step, trying to drag me face down into the scum. I’m about to use my blade to cut it off at my thighs, screw propriety, when the two ahead stop suddenly in front of me. Until now, they’ve had a running conversation going that I’ve ignored for the sake of my own sanity, but they’re silent as they search the darkness for something.

  “Do you see anything?” Willow murmurs.

  Frejha shakes her head, then realizes that’s not useful and breathes “no.”

  Several heart beats of silence follow as I carefully twist to look behind without moving my feet or making any noise. I see nothing. Even so, my nerves are suddenly screaming for me to be ready, though I have no idea what I need to be ready for.

  “There should be ways up to the city nearby,” Willow breaks the silence. Though she’s trying to be quiet, it feels as though the sound echoes for miles. “Every building should have a decent sized dropping hole for refuse we can use.”

  A splash is nearly inaudible under Willow’s whisper, but both Frejha and I twitch toward the source, so I know my terrified mind didn’t make it up. I focus on the area, trying to bring up any illuminated symbols or even a dark silhouette to reveal what we might have heard, but nothing appears. My heart threatens to thump its way up my throat and out my mouth so I swallow it back down and take a slow step toward the others as silently as I can.

  My movement sparks a flurry of activity as a handful of shadows the size of large dogs peel away from the walls and attack. Only then do the symbols appear.

  Shadow Rat – Level 1 common creature

  Attack – 3

  Defence –2

  Primarily found skittering in caverns, sewers and other dark locations,

  these creatures work in groups to surround and take down their prey.

  I move with a speed I shouldn’t be capable of, side stepping out of the way of one of the creatures as two more whoosh past like mist toward Willow and Frejha. A scream from Willow and a flash of fire lights up the cavern for only a second, causing a screech of pain from one of the creatures that sends a chill down my spine, and revealing the outlines of five others that spin away from the light as though it hurts their eyes.

  “The fire,” I shout as teeth dig into my arm. I lash out with my dagger, forcing the creature back, but it doesn’t stop the streaks of blood flowing from the wounds it leaves.

  Damage - 2

  Health – 7

  I hiss in pain as the information flashes over the bite marks, and finish calling out to Frejha, who clearly didn’t get my message, given the lack of flames coming from her direction.

  “They’re bothered by the fire. Use it.”

  My blade lodges between the teeth of one of the creatures just as it’s about to clamp down on my leg. I expand the blade into a full sword and it slices a hole into the creature’s head. It squeaks out a cry before its dead weight falls onto me.

  Sword of Kesarre – Epic item Level 1

  Attack – 6

  Defence – 1

  I slip the blade back into its dagger shape to shed the beast and turn back to Willow and Frejha to make sure they’re still alive. A flick of a flame no bigger than that of a candle lights for less than a blink before Frejha’s yelp puts it out.

  “Useless,” I sigh.

  I use a dash attack to make it to their side as quickly as possible, stabbing at the first shadow I see with all my might. It doesn’t quite take the creature down, but it does force it to back off from its attack on Willow, who looks to have been knocked out, or maybe has fainted.

  A quick swipe of my hand turns my blade into a scythe, filling the space between us and slicing two more of the creatures in half.

  Congratulations! You’ve reached level 2!

  New Health: 14

  New Defence: 8

  I suck in a surprised breath as the wound on my arm closes, leaving only the stain of blood to show for the injury.

  Well, that seems useful. Let’s hope that’s all I need to be able to defeat these things.

  Chapter Twelve

  Interference

  With every rat that we kill three more show up. I can’t keep up this pace. My health is slowly draining, and I can feel blood trickling down my arms. I know with some satisfaction the liquid is not just my own, but it’s not enough to make me feel like we’re winning.

  Frejha listens to me and keeps her attacks focussed on fire. She throws out fireball after fireball each one weaker than the last. It only occurs to me after another pair of red eyes appear in the smoke of the fire that the flame might be drawing their attention.

  “Enough with the fire,” I shout. “Don’t you have the ability to use multiple elements? Use ice or something.”

  “But you said-”

  Frajha whimpers as one of the animals attacks her, wrapping its teeth around her arm. I attempt to run it through with my blade, but the creature whips its tail at me, slashing a cut into hand and nearly knocking my sword into the water below. I scramble to keep my grip, sure if I drop it now I’ll never be able to find it again within the chaos and dark liquid at our feet.

  “I know what I said.” I swing my arm to catch one of the rats across the nose, forcing it back with a screech. “Ignore what I said. I think the fire is drawing them in rather than scaring them.”

  Pain rips at my side, stunning me motionless for a moment. There were no rats close enough to have bit me, and when I look down, I’m shocked to see a handle of a knife sticking out of me. The hand gripping the weapon yanks it out, causing more pain then when it went in.

  Damage - 6

  Health - 4

  “If only you’d thought to be more subtle sooner,” Heather taunts.

  Her sudden appearance was more than a dash attack. She seemed to appear next to me out of nowhere.

  I try to swipe my own blade at her, but she bounces away easily. My hand goes to my wound and pain makes my sight blurry. I can’t let her get another attack like that in on me or any of the others. I don’t think any of us could survive one.

  While Heather’s busy taunting me with quick shakes of her blades as though she might attack at any moment, one of the rats leaps up to latch onto her shoulder. She screams in pain and turns to deal with the creature while I take the chance to turn back to the others.

  Frejha throws an ice attack at the reaper, hoping to use the distraction of the creature to get in a proper blow, but the attack barely makes Heather flinch. She turns toward the caster, her lips curled back to reveal her teeth. I quick step away, putting a rat between myself and Heather, but it’s not me the reaper lunges for.

  “I need you alive, you stupid girl,” Heather growls at Frejha while slicing a deep gouge into her chest. “Why doesn’t anybody realize that the goddess needs her sacrifices alive?”

  I watch for only a second, unsure if I should try to help the caster. I’m not even sure she’s still alive. It’s not worth the risk. I dash attack to reach Willow as quickly as possible and toss h
er over my shoulder. She’s much lighter than Kesarre, yet the moment I lift her, I feel the strain of the extra weight. My low health must be making me weak. I try not to think about it as I take off running.

  As I glance back to see if Heather’s following, I watch her attention snap to me. Fury darkens her eyes to the same shade as the shadows surrounding us. She leans forward as though to use her own dash attack on me, but as she does, the battered Frejha lifts her staff and a small blaze of fire lights up the space. The outline of half a dozen more rats are visible in the short-lived light, but I turn away before they lunge at the two champions.

  Frejha knew what would happen if she lit her fire. She wanted to bring the rats to her in order to distract Heather, even if it meant she might be killed. I can’t waste this chance by waiting around to see what happens.

  My stomach lurches as my imagination fills in the scene I hear behind me. She sacrificed herself for us. It was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do. The idiot could have survived if she had let Heather focus on me for a few moments. She might have been able to run away and hide. What sort of person chooses to help someone they barely know over saving their own life?

  Anger pushes me to run faster than I might have been able otherwise. I listen, waiting for the splashes of footsteps behind me for when Heather breaks free of the monsters and comes after us. Instead, I’m surprised when the sound comes from in front. I stop, nearly dropping Willow, when a dim light shines from the very skin of Kesarre. He smiles widely as he starts jogging backward in front of us.

  “Nice work getting out of that situation,” he says. “And you managed to gain a level in the process. Very impressive.”

  If I had any strength, I would punch the man. Or possibly hug him. Not sure how I feel right now.

  A look of distress touches his eyebrows as he glances behind me for just a second. Before I can look over my shoulder to see what he sees, his smile is already back on his lips. I don’t have to look back to know he must have seen something bad and I know turning will only slow me down and make me scared, so I focus on picking up the pace to match his.

  “As fun as this has been,” he says. “It’s probably time that you get some rest. Willow is looking a little sleepy as well.”

  I’m not sure if he’s keeping the light tone to keep me from panicking, or if he’s completely insane.

  “I would love to sleep but this is not exactly the time.” Without meaning to, I look back over my shoulder and nearly trip over my own feet in the process. The splashing is too far away to see any details, but it looks like we have a number of followers. Maybe human and rats alike. “I have a bit of a situation happening if you haven’t noticed.”

  He chuckles, but I recognize a hint of distress to the sound as though he knows I’m in more trouble than even I realize.

  “It’s against the rules for me to help you,” he reminds me. “So, I’m just gonna keep running and you can decide whether you want to follow me up this path towards where there may or may not be a healer for you to visit.”

  The sounds of splashing are distinct now, and I’m sure they’re catching up.

  I nod and push myself to run at what I’m sure is my limit. “I just happen to be going this way as well,” I huff. “What a coincidence.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Healer Say Whaa?

  My eyes flutter open from the best sleep I think I’ve ever had. It was amazing. I even remember there being a dream. I’m not talking a nightmare with things chasing me and people calling me a goblin, this one had pretty little butterflies and a bed of warm moss. I think there might have even been a kiss.

  I sigh and wish I could fall back asleep when the memories of the past few hours smash into me like a wild bull. I’m sitting and looking around the room in an instant, my hand going for an apron pocket that’s not there.

  None of my clothes are my own. In fact, I’m barely wearing clothes at all. A cleanish nightgown covers me along with a scratchy wool blanket, but my sludge-soaked clothes are nowhere to be found. I try to remember what happened after the sewer, but my memory is hazy. I remember we were being chased and Kesarre led me up into the sunlight of a street, but then everything grows hazy. I must have passed out and somehow ended up inside this building.

  At least there was no sign of Heather or the rats around.

  My gaze falls on a man hunched over a table in the far corner of the room, which is about twice the size of my entire apartment, though the only things taking up the space is a bed—a proper one on a wooden frame and everything—a desk, a chair and the man. Most of the room is empty and impressively clean. I suppose this is what it looks like when one doesn’t have hay and mice droppings all over the floor. Interesting.

  I blink my focus back over to the man who still hasn’t turned to look at me.

  “If you’re looking for your clothes,” he says in a deep, rumbling voice, “I’ve taken the liberty of removing them from the premises. They had a particular odour I didn’t much want contaminating the building.”

  “Perhaps I was fond of that odour.”

  I slowly pull my feet from the covers and slide them onto the floor for a quick escape, as soon as I find a way out of here. The only door seems to be next to the man, so that poses a problem. I’m also in a revealing outfit without Kesarre’s weapon. Not an ideal situation.

  “If I was hoping to pick up the smell once more, where might I find my clothes?”

  He turns to look at me and I stop mid-step, hoping he doesn’t notice the oddness of my pose.

  “You want to smell like sewage?”

  “It keeps people away.”

  His heavy eyebrows furrow as he takes a better look at me. Much of him was heavy, though in a muscular way. A square face leads down to a thick neck and arms as wide as my waist. One punch and I would be squashed as flat as a coin. I need play this just right so as not to let him suspect I’m trying to escape.

  I place my hand on my hip and lean on the bed, which is a bit lower than I remember, and attempt a seductive wink in hopes of distracting him.

  If he’s charmed by me, he doesn't show it. Not even a slight glimmer in his eye. I know I haven’t had much practice flirting, but I always assumed guys were interested in anything vaguely female if they were half naked. Perhaps they’re more complicated than I’ve given them credit for.

  ‘Or perhaps you’re less attractive than you believe.’

  ‘Shut it, Kesarre.’

  “I suppose I can understand the desire to be left alone,” the huge man says, though I only hear half his words since my mind is now on Kesarre. “Though there’s a fine line between being alone and lonely.”

  “Uh huh,” I say. “So true.”

  ‘Wait, Kesarre!’ Even in my head I’m whispering as though I’m afraid the man in front of me might overhear my thoughts, as ridiculous as that might be. Though with all I’ve seen lately, maybe not so crazy. ‘I don’t know where my weapon is. I think this guy stole it. He’s got to be a champion of one of the other gods and he’s taken my weapon so he can trap me here or kill me or...Willow! Where’s Willow?’

  “Any headaches?”

  My worries about Willow distracts me from the strange man’s approach and he presses two stubby fingers against my throat without me realizing he’s walked away from his desk. He counts under his breath for a moment then moves his hand away.

  “Dryness of the tongue? Hallucinations?”

  “Halluc…” I trail off during my attempt to repeat the word and fight the urge to jerk away. He forces the eyelids of my right eye open. I don’t want to accidently get poked in the eye, though maybe I should be worried about worse than that from the greedy look he’s giving me.

  “Hallucinations,” he repeats for me. “It means seeing things that aren’t really before you.”

  He drops my eyelid and moves back to the table to dip a pen in a bit of ink.

  “How would I know if it’s a hallucination I’m seeing if I think it’s
in front of me?”

  He pauses with the pen posed over a notebook, allowing a drop of ink to fall on the page before he moves it away. There are drawings I recognize, such as an eye and tongue, but most of the paper is covered in text I can’t read. I sure wish Willow was here. She’d be able to tell me if we should be running away screaming from the bad man or not.

  I hope she’s still alive.

  “Interesting,” the stranger says. “I suppose you would have to understand that what you see shouldn’t be possible in order to recognize it as a hallucination. However, if you have lost the reasonable part of your mind that prevents hallucinations from occurring, would you still be capable of determining the difference between reality and fantasy?” He scribbles some notes while muttering more “interestings” and “research is needed” under his breath.

  He’s so distracted, I’m sure I could walk right out the door, possibly smacking his ass as I pass. Yet I stay and watch him write. For all his strangeness, I don’t feel particularly scared of him and I’m sure if he was a true threat, Kesarre would have said something. I hope.

  ‘Is Willow alive?’ I demand of Kesarre.

  ‘She is.’

  Huh. I expected a more cryptic answer. Also, worse news. Wait, maybe he’s leaving something important out in order to keep his mysterious god status.

  ‘Is she in trouble? Does she need my help?’

  Kesarre’s chuckle fills me with a feeling of warmth and comfort, like I’m wrapped back up in the blanket and fast asleep.

  ‘She’s fine. Asleep, though not as comfortably as you were. After all, she doesn’t have such a luxurious pillow as you.’

  I turn to the head of the bed in such a rush, I make my head ache, but I’m rewarded with the sight of my beautiful mint scented pillow, completely devoid of any rat guts or sewage.

  “You are the best,” I say to myself as I wrap my arms around my cuddly friend.

  ‘I know,’ Kesarre responds.

  ‘Wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to my pillow.’

  I don’t know why I bother. He knows the truth. I just hate to admit it even in my thoughts.