â...and that's all I can say about Fellhorn,â Argrave told Elenore, giving advice to Melanie through Elenore as he and Raccomen made to confront Erlebnis. They intended to fight him outside the Palace of Heaven, as it kept him from interfering with the operations within and, if all went well, they might turn the Stormfield against him.
He continued advising, âAnd the lich, his phylactery... it's hidden within a stuffed animal: a black bear, with big floppy ears. That's all I have, Elenore. No communication henceforth. Need no distractions.â
âGood luck,â his sister told him in parting. Then her voice was no more, and Argrave stood on the empty walls of the Palace of Heaven with Raccomen beside him.
The deity asked, âYouâre done?â
âYeah,â Argrave answered.
âIâll keep it brief.â Raccomen played with the decadent rings on his fingers. âErlebnis knows heâs outmatched. Heâs given up on winning the fight.â
âYouâre sure of this?â Argrave narrowed his eyes.
âHeâs using his divinity to empower his attacks. He wants to leave nothing left for his foes. The god I killed for my domain did something similar.â Raccomen stroked his chin. âEventually, though, our god of knowledge is going to get too weak to resist both of the ancient gods wearing him down. Itâs our job to make sure his killer is someone on our side.â
âWe all agreed that Law should inherit that power. His domain compels him to be our most steadfast ally,â Argrave pointed out.
âWe did agree it would be best for all involved,â Raccomen confirmed. âBut we should be happy simply if Sataistador doesnât claim it.â
âSo thatâs your angle, volunteering to help me.â Argrave fixed him with the side-eye. âWhatever. If it plays that way, it plays that way. This is a partnership, not a subordinacy. Just donât end up dead, like Rook.â
âLike Rook?â Raccomen laughedâa new noise from the god of space. âI wonât end up like him at all. The god with mastery over spaceâitâs a coveted title. It could be said that few other domains are its equal. For that reason, my champion, Melanie, has proven her worth countless time.â He looked at Argrave. âFor this reason, the gods of space are often killed by those seeking to claim their domain. Iâm the youngest of the gods in the Blackgard Union⊠yet throughout history, Iâm still the oldest god of space. Does that make sense?â
âThis is you being brief?â Argrave shook his head. âYouâre a tough guy, I get it. Whatâs your point?â
âNot tough. But like you, I donât often fight when I cannot win. Nowâletâs wait for our opportunity.â Raccomen put his hand on Argraveâs shoulder. âI hope youâve mastered your stomach. Elsewise, youâll lose whateverâs within it, I promise you.â
Argrave inhaled, preparing himself for a long and protracted fight. âWhyâs it taking so long, anyway? Thought the man had a grudgeâŠâ
âYou donât seem much like the god of war to me,â Erlebnis said, standing across from Sataistador as the Stormfield raged all around them on this mountain peak. Law had fallen back temporarily, perhaps grouping up with some reinforcement. âTell meâdid you join the Blackgard Union?â
âThis is just war for me, as ever,â the deity answered.
âWhat do I have to do to get you to end Argrave?â Erlebnis asked.
Icy storm turned to a fiery hell in moments as the phases of the Stormfield shifted. Amidst all this, Sataistador looked amused. âAre you proposing betrayal?â
âWhy not?â Erlebnis stared steadfastly.
âDoesnât align with my long-term intentions for this cycle of judgment. And despite their tremendous success, I donât doubt for a second Argrave is willing and able to retreat if things turned that quickly. But let me offer an alternative.â Sataistador raised his hand up. âSurrender, let me gorge myself on your flesh. The kingâll die as a natural byproduct of what comes next.â
âTheyâd never let that happen.â Erlebnis shook his head. âLaw is still watching. Trying to listen, too, but I can stop that. All of them have their own plans. Theyâve regrouped. Doubtless Raccomen is lurking, now, ready to step in and bring his friends at a momentâs notice.â The god of knowledge closed his eyes despite standing in front of an enemy. âI missed my chance. I feel it in my bones.â
âYour bones?â Sataistador scoffed. âYou let go of those a long time ago. Sure they still work like they used to?â
âPerhaps that was always a mistake.â Erlebnis straightened his back, standing tall. He still looked small before the hulking figure of the god of war. âBut there are ways out of this for me.â
âNot really. You run, we can catch you. You fight, Law or I will outlast you. Youâre a candle, the wax melting a little more every time you burn. If youâd kept your mouth shut instead of saying youâd desecrate the kingâs wife, there might be some arrangement you could make⊠but after you talked, Argrave has no reason to trust a deal from you. This ends, Erlebnis, with you dead. The hand has been dealt. All you can do is show your cards.â
Erlebnis smiled. âOr, I could talk more, run my mouth more⊠and maybe tell them why you cut your hair.â
Sataistador was static one moment, then animated in the next. He flew at Erlebnis with his arms moving so quickly they appeared to be eight. Weapons lashed out at him in an inferno of fury. Erlebnis called upon his divinity, putting a vast amount of might in repelling the god of war.
âThereâs that chaos I recognize,â Erlebnis called out. âThey didnât hear what I said, fret not. Or better yet, do fret, louse. You think I donât know you? A vagrant like you only cuts that mop for one reason.â
âYou want Argrave dead, donât you?â Sataistador pointed an axe. âThen youâll say nothing more. I put a lot of time, a lot of effort, into this. If you donât waste my effort, you can harass Argrave in the afterlife, I promise you.â
Erlebnis shook his head. âI want him dead, true enough. But most of all, I want to kill him. You got in my damned way, Sataistador. Iâll burn this scheme of yours to cindersâIâm not above that, not anymore. You deprived me of my chance. You still have yours, for now. And if you want to keep it, get out of my sight. And if I see even the faintest glimpse of you, Iâll tell them all.â
âThat doesnât even make sense!â Sataistador shouted in rage. âItâs irrational. If you want him dead, your best option is toââ
âForget rational!â Erlebnis interrupted. âI was a beacon of rationality. Look where I am, now. The odds stacked against me. Kirel Qircassia, my âally,â stays on high, while I scramble in the mud for a knife. Iâm not content with that. Iâll have another attempt.â
Sataistador paused, then pointed his finger. âYouâre going to try something devious, arenât you?â
Erlebnis nodded. âYes. I want to make Argrave suffer. Death alone isnât the only way one can go about such a thing. Grief is painful. Despair is painful. Iâve learned a lot about suffering, in my long years.â
âYou could ruin both of our chances.â Sataistador put his hands on his waist. âI ought to take my chances, keep fighting you, your blathering be damned. Ought to call your bluff.â
âDo it, whore of war.â Erlebnis beckoned Sataistador inward. âTry me. Itâd be worth it, just to see your arrogance break, to see you throw a tantrum and land face down in the mud right alongside me. Misery loves company. Perhaps youâll know what it is to hate something, as I do.â
Sataistadorâs stared into Erlebnisâ golden eyes, taking their measure as the Stormfield raged all around them. Then⊠he turned and walked away.
âItâs good theyâre taking so long,â Raccomen comforted. âMore time for our people to get a hold of the Stormfield. Once the Stormfield falls, we donât need to have the Justiciars spread out, protecting the army. Law can fight without restraint.â
âHell with âitâs good,ââ Argrave disagreed. âTheyâre talking, Raccomen. Two backstabbers, consorting, maybe getting into bed with one another. I donât like it.â
âWe were always prepared for the possibility that Sataistador might change sides. We control the whole of the Great Chu, and provided our counterparts do their part well, we now control its strongest fortress. If that isnât enough, and if it comes to it, we could alwaysâŠâ
âRetreat,â Argrave shook his head. âWhen weâre inside the damned fortress. A bitter pill.â
One of Lawâs Justiciars knelt before Argrave, and its god spoke through it. âThe god of war has spent too much time scheming to move on offered whims. Siding with Erlebnisâwho weâve put on the backfootâis contrary to his nature. Sataistador, above all, wishes to win.â
Argrave caressed his forehead, feeling some rising unease. Then, he felt Raccomenâs hand on his shoulder.
âErlebnis returns,â the god of space declared. âAnd Sataistador, heâs⊠leaving.â
Argrave looked up, seeing a lone figure stalk through the Stormfield. The steam covered much of his advance, but Argrave saw him in a moment of clarity.
âThe god of war is a hypocrite, a coward, and a dumb whore,â Erlebnis called out. âHeâs mocked me for countless years about clinging to my divine servants, my realm, my vault. In the end, he has things that he refuses to relinquish just like the rest of us. He has possessions heâd move to protect, interests to preserve.â
Argrave prepared himself, looking to Raccomen for guidance. The god of space stared through the steam, alert and ready.
âJust us, now. No more vultures.â Erlebnis stopped walking. âJust me, with the company of all Iâve learned through the millennia. And you, Argrave, with whateverâs swimming around in that head of yours.â
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