Voice of the Gods

The strongest Dedicated Servant in Glymma and I end up a prison guard, one thought. I must have done something wrong. What did I do wrong?

Turning back to Mischief, Auraya touched his mind and sent the idea of turning the key around. He paused, then flipped it over, using both paws and his mouth.

It seemed to take forever for him to insert it in the keyhole. Once there she sensed he was unsure what to do next. Then he remembered how he normally undid locks with magic. There was usually something inside that turned. He tried to twist the key, but his paws weren’t used to the action. Hearing a noise, Auraya glanced at the guards again. Her stomach lurched as she saw one was peeing at her.

“You’d better hurry,” she told Mischief. “Or they’ll be eating veez stew tonight.”

As the guard reached toward the gate she felt a surge of desperation. Mischief must have sensed it, as he suddenly ran down her arm and licked her face.

“No, no, no!” she muttered.

He scurried back to the lock, to her relief. He paused to sniff at it. She heard the gate open and the voice of the second guard raised in query. Turning away she watched Mischief anxiously as he stared at the key. In the corner of her eye she saw the guards step into the hall.

Mischief took the key in his mouth and twisted.

The lock snapped open and Mischief leapt up onto the throne. Gritting her teeth against the pain of moving a wrist long held in one position, she slid her hand out of the cuff and twisted it around to take hold of the key.

The sound of footsteps grew louder, then more rapid as she pulled out the key and forced her arm around so she could insert it in the cuff around her other wrist. She twisted it. The lock opened.

She glimpsed a flash of light from the guard and threw herself to one side. Magic scorched the base of the throne. She darted behind the enormous chair, panting with exertion, her heart racing.

I have to get out of the void! She could hear two sets of footsteps drawing closer on either side. The Servants were coming around the throne.

She tentatively reached for magic and found it. The area behind the throne wasn’t in the void! Drawing magic greedily, she created a shield around herself just as the Servants stepped around the throne and attacked. She knocked one down with a blast of power, then turned to face the other. He stared at her, eyes wide with surprise and horror.

Fixing him with what she expected was a look of utter fury, she took a step toward him.

He fled.

Smiling to herself, she straightened and drew more magic, sending it into her body to heal it. But even as she did she sensed the source diminishing. Moving further away from the throne, she felt a growing puzzlement as she entered magicless space again.

Then she remembered that the void in the cave in Si had magic at its center. A ring of void around a magic core. This was the same - or had been until she had used the remaining magic inside it.

The sooner she left the void the better. She strode out from behind the throne to the edge of the dais, then stepped off. Magic surrounded her again. She drew it in, feeling pain retreat as she healed herself.

“Auraya.”

Her heart froze as she recognized the voice. Turning, she felt her mouth go dry.

A glowing figure stood nearby, eyes blazing with anger and hatred.

Huan.

Auraya hastily strengthened the barrier around herself.

“Sorry to spoil your escape attempt,” the goddess said.

“No you’re not,” Auraya found herself saying. Dismay had turned into a strange mix of defiance and resignation. “You’ve been looking for an excuse to kill me and now you have it.”

“I don’t want to kill you,” Huan told her. “But I will, if I have to.” She took a step toward Auraya. “I will make a deal with you.”

“A deal?”

“Yes. I ask for one small thing: that you open your mind to me. For that I will let you live.”

Auraya regarded the glowing figure. Behind the goddess’s features the vacant expression of the Servant who had given over his will was just visible. It was the Dedicated Servant who had been sulking about guarding her. The most powerful Dedicated Servant in Glymma. His powers would be enhanced by the goddess, but by how much? Not as much as the Voices, surely.

At the same time she considered Huan’s request. What harm would there be in unveiling my mind? Huan would know Auraya had become immortal, but she probably suspected that anyway. She would know Auraya had learned from Jade - Emerahl. She would know that other Wilds existed and knew how to kill a god.

I know how to kill a god. She’ll kill me anyway, if she sees that.

She would also know that Auraya was strong enough to become a god, but then if Chaia knew that then Huan probably suspected it, too.

If I am, then I must be stronger than this Dedicated Servant.

The thought brought a smile to Auraya’s face. “I don’t think you can stop me leaving.”

Huan’s eyes flashed. “You are wrong. But if you need convincing...”

The glowing figure opened a hand. White light flashed out and struck Auraya’s barrier. Staggering backward, Auraya drew more magic to her defense, then flung some back at the goddess.

Instantly they became locked in a deadly exchange of ferocious strength and speed. She felt the magic around her thinning as they both tapped into it. She felt the air vibrating between them. She deflected heat, lightning and crushing, hammering strikes.

She’s matching me blow for blow. The realization was worse than the crushing force of Huan’s attack. The Dedicated Servant must be more powerful than I thought. I guess if the Pentadrians vote to decide who become their Voices, it’s possible that there are Dedicated Servants as powerful or even more powerful than the Voices were before the gods enhanced their powers.

Huan moved closer, blocking her escape and forcing her to one side of the hall. Auraya could not get past her. Slowly the magic Auraya could reach dwindled, forcing her to back away to reach more. Huan watched, smiling.

I have lost. It is just a matter of time.

But Auraya fought on, refusing to give up. She used the columns of the hall to shield herself. Pieces of stone were blasted from them, and one after another they crumbled until Auraya feared the roof would collapse. She felt herself faltering. Huan beat at her barrier and it finally collapsed.

A force enveloped Auraya. It drew her forward until she stood a few steps from the glowing figure.

“Now,” Huan sneered. “Open your mind to me.”

A flash of stubborn defiance went through Auraya. She’ll kill me anyway, whether I do it or not.

“No,” she replied.

Huan’s eyes narrowed. “You seem to think you have a choice. I shall convince you otherwise.”

Magic flowed from the goddess and wrapped around Auraya’s body. Into her body. Pain ripped through her, pulsing up and down her limbs, tearing at her insides. She saw white and her eyes burned. Agony was all she knew.

Then it stopped. Vision returned. Auraya realized she was lying on the floor, but could not remember falling down. Her body felt bruised. She was gasping for breath and suspected she had stopped breathing during Huan’s attack. Her mind began drawing in magic from the thin and depleted source around her to begin healing.

So, she thought. It’s going to be torture then. She felt her determination waver. Then she thought of Mirar, and Jade. I can’t betray them. From somewhere she drew up the resolve to stay silent.

“See?” Huan said. “It doesn’t take much magic. I can do it for years, if I want to. And I can do much, much worse. I can make you die of pain. Slowly. Very slowly.”

Once again Auraya considered what was in her mind that the goddess might want to see. Jade’s identity came to mind. The secrets Mirar had told her. The realization that the Wilds were up to something. They knew how to kill gods. Were they going to try it themselves?