silently expending their power she has been waiting for an opportunity. I think that maybe Seth you are that opportunity. Maybe the gods that are in power now have spread themselves too thin, and though they have many followers feeding them power they are siphoning that power back down into those they have blessed. It is all just theory and speculation, but it makes sense to me. Does it seem likely to you? Sara asked Seth hoping she had been able to find the piece of the puzzle that had been eluding him.
Seth thought it over for long moments. He mulled over all they had learned in his mind. Piecing details together within his head he began to create a bigger picture. He now added what Sara speculated and finally the situation appeared more clearly. Seth looked it over inside his mind. The Goddess had been biding her time for hundreds of years. She had waited patiently as the other gods waged war thinking her already defeated. Their arrogance had led them to spread themselves too thin, at least those that battled here in Valdadore. Seth could recall fourteen magnificent temples lining the square. Each of them equal in grandeur, each of them worshipped openly and freely by many. He also could recall one temple hidden amongst the others. A temple only visited recently by three people. Ishanya was the underdog so to speak. She was outdated and outnumbered. Few now lived who even knew her name, yet she had chosen to return to the world, she had chosen Seth to be her champion. Of this much Seth was nearly certain. It was odd however thinking that the gods had given life to the world, giving each life upon it a small portion of themselves. Now however and perhaps since the beginning of time they wanted those small pieces back. They used the races of men and even perhaps beasts as pawns to wage wars and kill each other’s followers to gain strength. It was sickening, yet in some way it all made perfect sense. Seth again retuned his focus to the world beyond his mind. He nodded as he smiled to the small woman he loved.
“My angel you are a genius.” Seth stated knowing if it hadn’t been for her he may have never found the explanation he sought.
“I know now why Ishanya has chosen this time to return.” Seth stated as the thoughts clarified themselves in his head.
“Why my love?” Sara asked intrigued.
“The Kingdom is at war, and with the Choosing ceremony many will be chosen to serve the ranks of the army, the knights, the druids, even the mages. Many of those will be blessed by their gods to enhance their chances to win the war. Those blessings will cost the gods who give them dearly. It will take time for people to recognize the new blessings for what they are and longer still for people to join in worship because of what they witness. So it seems there will be a period of time after The Choosing, yet before the end of the war where several gods will be weakened temporarily. Ishanya is choosing this time to make her move towards a seat of power. It’s perfectly logical yet I think she has not foreseen one problem in her plan.” Seth said grinning widely to himself.
“What is it Seth?” Sara asked in wonder, amazed by his new understanding of the gods.
“Me.” Seth answered simply. “She does not see that I have no ambition to join a religion, I have no want or need to worship a god. I am happy being me just the way I am. I would like the gift of magic. I feel like it is something I must pursue, but I will not trade my freedom for it. That my angel is the flaw of her plans.” Seth said with determination in his voice.
“You know what that means don’t you?” Sara asked her face changing to an expression of concern.
“What is that?” Seth asked.
“It means that you hold the power to change the world. If you stand by and do nothing the war will wage on for who knows how long. Thousands will die and eventually one god will triumph over another just to then be attacked by another god’s followers. Or if you choose to follow Ishanya you might forever change the history of the world, you could maybe even stop the war. I know not what Ishanya wants of you, but perhaps it is worth it in the end to at least find out what it is she desires.” Sara stated watching Seth’s triumphant smile fade into one of disgust.
“Why can the gods not just leave us all alone to live as we choose?” Seth asked. “Why is it we must pay with our lives for their ambition and greed? It seems I have no choice in the matter. I have to at least do what you say, if nothing else maybe I can use my opposition as leverage to gain some advantage on the Goddess. If I play my cards right, maybe I can gain her blessing without swearing myself to her, maybe even I can do some good after all.” Seth said more to himself than anyone else.
It was a suffocating feeling, being tangled in the web of a Goddess. Seth felt like the world literally rested on his shoulders. No matter which direction he chose there would be consequences. He decided then that whichever direction he did choose it would be for the betterment of man, not for a god. He looked to Sara, the one person who shared this knowledge with him, and vowed once again to himself to do all he could to protect her. He would do what was right to make the world his angel lived in a better place.
Seth sat silently for a long time thinking to himself about the predicament he was in. He wanted nothing to do with the gods, though now he knew he had no choice. He tried to imagine how his future would play out. In Seth’s mind he imagined the world as a scale. The scale weighed dozens of different armies, different outcomes. Seth stood at the center of that scale. A movement in any direction would cause an unbalance in the strained equilibrium that now existed. If what he believed and what he felt was the truth, then how could he choose who the winners and losers would be? Thousands or perhaps tens of thousands would die in a drawn out war among the gods. Seth was not familiar with all the other races of men, but he knew it was not right to condemn them to death. No matter which choices might lay before him, none of them were the right choice. None of them were true and just. Each and every outcome Seth could think of led to bloodshed. Each of them evil. Seth tumbled within the darkness of his mind. Consumed by the grief growing within him he was lost for a moment. Lost to the world, lost to his senses, lost to himself. It was only when Sara had risen and come to his side, wrapping her arms around his neck that Seth sought to free himself from the dark thoughts. Returning his mind to the physical world Seth had come to a final decision. He knew well that each and every choice would be one he would regret. However he decided to forever choose the quickest, less costly path to an end. This he hoped might spare lives, and in turn not make him the monster the Goddess planned him to be.
Focusing on Sara to keep his mind from wandering to darker thoughts Seth rose to his feet. Sara rose with him and the two stood for a long moment in each other’s arms.
“I think it is time to adjust your mood.” Sara said, her teasing smile appearing on her lips.
“Is that so?” Seth asked innocently, his dark thoughts fading as he looked to her angelic face.
“Yes let’s go to bed.” Sara replied as she turned and strode across the room exaggerating her hip’s twist as she went.
“To sleep?” Seth asked already knowing the answer.
“Perhaps at some point my love.” Sara said over her shoulder still walking away.
Seth too crossed the room to his side of the bed and began to undress. Unbuttoning his tunic he revealed the small leather bound tome that was his gift from the Goddess. Not wanting to dwell upon his bleak future yet again he tossed the book upon the floor, and using his foot slid it beneath the bed. Undressing quickly Seth crawled into their bed and pulled the covers over himself. Seth had settled into bed just in time to watch Sara pulling the silky top over her shoulders. She faced away from him and he took a moment to admire her beautifully shaped body. Sara turned to face him, once again revealing her barely disguised figure. Seth smiled as Sara crawled into the bed like a graceful feline. Sara too slid beneath the covers and inched her way the remaining distance to Seth’s side. Rolling to her side Sara wrapped one leg loosely over him and laid her head upon his bare chest. Feeling her small warm body pressed once again against his own Seth fought his body’s urges. As Seth tried to sway his changing blood flow Sara slid her hand up his side and began to dance her fingertips across his bare skin. With a loud sigh of defeat Seth let go of his inhibitions and in spite of himself he grinned as Sara watched his face quietly giggling.
The night passed for Seth and Sara much like the previous night. For long hours they experimented pleasurably with one another’s bodies, finally finding sleep when their eyes could remain open no longer.
Late into the night Garret and Ashton stumbled back into the front door of The King’s Herald. Garret swayed this way and that uncontrollably as Ashton attempted to guide and support his larger friend. They precariously made their way through the building and up the stairs to their floor. Guiding Garret through the door to the room they shared Ashton strained as he led his friend through the room. Bringing the large man to his bed Ashton let him fall heavily upon it. Within mere seconds Garret had begun snoring and Ashton too undressed and climbed into his own bed.
The intoxicating effect of ale and rum was not enough to spare Garret from what sought him this night. Deep in a drunken slumber Garret dreamed lazily about the things he had done and seen previously in the evening. He
