Gods and Heroes

Gods and Heroes

  by

  Eric Feka

  Published by Reluctant Geek

  Copyright Eric Feka 2013

  This book is a work of fiction. Events and characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to actual incidents, places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover image by Richard Svensson

  Table of Contents

  1: Of Gods and Heroes

  2: Tragics and Tragedy

  3: Honey Cakes

  4: The Temple of All Gods

  5: Enorganon

  6: The Toll Masters

  7: Equine Intervention

  8: The God of Men

  Chapter 1: Of Gods and Heroes

  (i)

  Atop a high mountain, two men and a woman stood in the thin, cold air and looked down upon the world. It was obvious that they weren't your average, everyday type of people. They were nearly naked, for a start. Any normal person wearing nothing but a thin toga to protect themselves from the freezing winds would have been a shivering, blue mess - albeit briefly. Another clue would have been the golden nimbus of light that outlined their perfect forms, and the way they stood impossibly straight and tall.

  Despite being beautiful beyond belief, the frowns upon their faces made it obvious that they weren't happy. The source of their unhappiness was clearly the large citadel they were peering at, which sat like a black scar in the middle of a green forest and was, in a most bizarre way, many miles away and yet near enough to touch.

  'It just appeared out of nowhere, you say?' said the man with flowing white locks and neatly cropped white beard. His name was Mazi and he was Lord of the Gods of Helvenica. 'Why don't we just go down there and fry the lot of them. You've drowned more with a storm in a day when the temper has taken you,' he said, turning to the women whose deep blue eyes glowed as if lit from within.

  'We've tried that, my Lord, but somehow they are protected,' said the dark haired man to his right. His name was Pyros and he was God of Fire. 'I sent my sons to sear this blight from the world, but their flames washed over the intruders without singeing a single hair. It was as if the Lords of Fire were nothing more than puffs of wind.'

  Mazi shook his head and sighed.

  'This is the work of the God who calls himself Monos,' said the woman. A look of distaste clouded her perfect features. She was Aquina, Goddess of the Sea and Mistress of Storms. 'I've been watching him for many years, long before he appeared here. I heard the whispers of his rising in the South and watched as he gained strength. His power is now so great that he can pour some of it into a staff carried by the High Priest. The staff is the reason your sons' efforts were futile because it's blessing makes all who follow it immune to our divine will, as if each soldier were the God Monos himself.'

  'A new God? How can that be? Didn't we sort all that out with that Isiha fellow all those years ago?' Mazi said. Although he was Lord of the Gods with power immeasurable, he was prepared to concede that he wasn't quite up to speed on current events, and that Aquina had it all over him when it came to politics and intrigue. 'And what are we going to do about it?' he added.

  'A new power is rising in the world, Lord, and it has called Monos into existence. He is the God of Men, and believes them to be greater than all else in the world, including Gods.' Aquina looked down at the citadel. 'As for what we are to do? Fear not, the wheels have been put in motion,' she said. 'However, we must be patient.'

  'A God of Men? Hasn't Munga got that all wrapped up?'

  A look that suggested patience lost crossed Aquina's features, but it was fleeting. 'Munga's realm includes masculinity, my Lord. It is probably more accurate to describe Monos as God of Humanity.'

  Mazi nodded. 'Oh, I see,' he said. 'And what do you think of this, brother?'

  A perplexed look crossed Pyros's features. The citadel was crawling with industrious people, rushing about, building this and constructing that. There was obviously a lot happening down there. 'I don't understand his motivation, my Lord. I cannot believe he can just grow a city overnight and muster an army in a week. What is he up to? And only a fool would build such a structure on the borders of the land in which we are most powerful and expect to march through unhindered. Is he arrogant or just plain old stupid? Does he really think he has nothing to fear from us?'

  'His motivation is the destruction of all Gods but him,' Aquina said, rather dramatically. 'He believes that men should only worship the God of Men, and all other Gods should be driven out.' She paused a moment. 'He thinks his armies can overcome our own as long as he keeps us at bay. In his eyes, we have only two alternatives - to ignore the battle of the worshipers and attack him ourselves, or to flee before his power. Regardless of what we do, his focus will be on our temples and our cities. If he were to capture or destroy enough of them, he would greatly reduce us and be able to banish us from Helvenica and into the wild lands. That is why we must be patient, my Lord. It is futile to attack him ourselves. He is far too strong. Our only chance is to drive his armies back, and to do that we must be cunning. He thinks they are invulnerable, but I think he may be wrong.'

  'I don't know,' Mazi said. He was unused to subtlety, and usually met threats with brutality and violence. It was traditional, and he wasn't ready to abandon the old ways so soon in a fight. 'What if The Twelve were to unite? Surely he would be no match for our combined strength.'

  'Getting The Twelve to stop bickering long enough to fight would be a task nearly as difficult as dealing with this usurper, but even if we could convince them to cooperate, I doubt we could match him. You will need to trust me on this, my Lord. Not all weapons are obvious.'

  'Is he really that strong?' Mazi asked. He looked impressed. 'The problem is yours, then, deal with it as you see fit.'

  'Thank you, my Lord,' Aquina said. 'I may need your help on occasion and yours too, Pyros. We'll show this upstart that the Gods of Helvenica are not to be trifled with.'

  Mazi looked down at the citadel and almost felt sorry for Monos. Aquina's temper was legend in Helvenica, and he could feel a fair old tantrum building. This could top the tsunami of rage that wiped out an entire city and sent the island upon which it stood to the bottom of the sea. And all because Aquina thought the temple to Figari, the God of the Moon, was better than hers.

  A wise God would keep his distance from Aquina when she was on the warpath, Mazi thought to himself, and Monos was about to find out why.

  (ii)

  Fotio had a dream, which wasn't all that unusual. Unlike most people, who restricted their dreaming to when they were sleeping or not doing anything very important, Fotio could dream almost anywhere. His mind, which appeared to be on a slightly different wavelength to Fotio himself, could wander at any time or in any place, regardless of what he was actually doing. It was a terrible affliction for a young man and he'd tried changing - he would face every new day with square-jawed determination - but an inability to focus on the task at hand seemed to be an unchangeable part of who he was.

  When he was but a stripling, his daydreaming had driven the teachers at his school to forgo their fee and suggest to his mother that a trade, something like blacksmithing, would be a better fit for the young lad. And it was Fotio's dreaming that led to Master Blacksmith Arapsi dismissing him as his apprentice shortly thereafter. His reasoning was that someone like Fotio - big, strong, and with the attention span of a gnat - should not be wielding a heavy hammer. In the end, dreaming had led him to where he was now - an errand boy who worked at the docks and supplemented his meager income with the odd theft.

  That was speaking in generalities, of course. Specific dreams usually led nowhere. Except for this one particularly vivid dream from which he had woken in a cold sweat three days
earlier. That dream had led him to be dangling from a rope a few inches from the greatest treasure he had ever seen. He reached out to take it and hesitated.

  The Heart of Fire, forged by Pyros himself to symbolize the bond between the Gods and the Earth, was Fotio's for the taking. The dream had been quite accurate. The guards were disinterested and sleepy. There was a handy gargoyle on the roof upon which to fasten a rope. Even the statue of Pyros holding the gem aloft was as it had been in his mind's eye.

  It would have been nice to say that the thought of stealing a precious cultural artifact is what caused Fotio to hesitate. Sadly, this was not the case. Rather, it was the thought of the possible repercussions that led him to pause. Would Pyros take a personal interest? Not likely, but then again most Gods have a dim view of temple desecrators. Pyros may decide to hunt him down and burn his head off as an example of what happens to those who don't behave appropriately in houses of worship.

  To complicate matters further, the huge gem was well outside Fotio's comfort zone. He tended to choose easy targets - goods that weren't too valuable and were easy to offload. The fact that he was currently dangling over an extremely valuable and distinctive treasure was giving him a little trouble. There were many questions that needed answering. Even if he were to get away cleanly, to whom could he sell it? It's all well and good to possess a priceless treasure, but would it put food on the table?

  He reached out and snatched the gem. 'Gods and men be damned,' he thought. 'This gem wouldn't just put food on the table, it would pay for a better table. And a house to put it in. With servants. And then we'll see who's wasted all his potential.'

  Fotio scuttled up the knotted rope like a monkey in a hurry, vaulted onto the roof, untied the rope from the gargoyle, and wound it around his waist. Feeling that it was all too easy and hoping more dreams leading to treasure would visit him in the near future, he jogged to the edge of the wall nearest the forest and dropped lightly to the ground. The first he knew of the alert guard that had been lurking in the shadows of the temple was when the butt of a spear hit him in the back of the head.

  (iii)

  'Ah, he seems to be waking. Good, I thought your blow might have been a little too enthusiastic. Thankfully it wasn't.'

  Fotio opened his eyes and looked up at the speaker. It was the King. No doubt about it. Solon the Just, High Priest of Aquina and King of Aquinos, was looking down at him with a look of concern etched upon his regal features.

  'Your Majesty,' Fotio said and made an unsuccessful attempt at getting up on his feet so that he could drop to his knees in supplication. The shackles on his wrists and ankles kept him secured to the floor, however, so instead he tried his best to look terrified and submissive, with some success.

  'Good morning Fotio,' Solon said, smiling a regal smile. 'It is good to see that you have woken from your extended nap. How do you feel?'

  'You know my name? The King knows my name! I'm going to die, aren't I?' Fotio gibbered.

  'Would we be so concerned for your welfare if we were only going to execute you?' Solon said, and looked at the tall man standing to his right, who looked blank for a moment before remembering to laugh at the King's attempt at humor.

  'No, no. Quite the opposite. We have a task for you.'

  'For me?'

  'Yes you,' Solon said, and turned once again to the tall man. 'Let him up, would you. It's disconcerting talking to a man chained to the floor.'

  'Yes my Lord,' said the man, and quickly released Fotio's bonds.

  'You asked how I know your name?' Solon said, as Fotio stood and rubbed at the back of his head. An impressive lump had formed where the spear had caught him. 'It is because you are Fate's chosen. One hundred heroes of Helvenica dreamed of the Heart of Fire, and only you responded. Of the hundred, yours was the only name that I did not recognize. Still, you have the look of a hero even though you have yet to do anything heroic,' the King's eyes sparkled. 'Perhaps you will be one yet. You have been chosen to perform a great service for The Twelve. A new God has risen in the South and his followers are camped on our doorstep, ready to wage war. You are to stop them.'

  'A God? You want me to fight a God?'

  'Oh no,' Solon said, and laughed a mirthless laugh. 'The combined might of The Twelve may not be enough to match this upstart. You wouldn't even register as a threat. No, your task is somewhat different.'

  'How can there be a new God? What's he a God of?'

  'It's hard to say, really, but his name is Monos and I have heard him referred to as the God of Men.'

  'What, you mean like shaving and virility and all that? I thought Munga had that all covered.'

  Solon looked at Fotio with newfound disrespect. 'I think what it means is that he is God of Humanity.'

  'Oh. Is that bad is it?'

  'Yes, it is, or so I am told, and it was Aquina herself who told me, so I am not in a position to doubt it. He has only one priest, who serves as his mouthpiece in the human world. His teachings are peculiar. He condemns kings and emperors. The people are encouraged to rule themselves. Can you imagine? Peasants and goatherds in command of their own destiny?'

  'Sounds pretty good to me,' Fotio said.

  A small point of light appeared in front of the young thief, from which a miniature lightning bolt earthed itself in his groin.

  Solon looked at Fotio as if waiting for a reaction. When none was forthcoming, he motioned to the tall man, who hit Fotio in the groin with the butt of his spear.

  'Aquina obviously doesn't agree with you,' Solon said, looking down at Fotio's writhing form.

  'Why don't the Gods do something about it, then?' Fotio said, as the pain subsided.

  'They cannot. Monos's power protects his followers from divine interference. No, only mortal men can stop the rise of the God of Men.'

  'Okay, I'm your man,' Fotio said. 'I think my record of achievement and success holds me in good stead to serve the Gods in their battle against a being so powerful, they fear to face him.'

  At this point, it should be noted that Fotio's teachers had told his long-suffering mother that dreaming wasn't the only problem they had with her son. There was also an infuriating belligerence about the boy, coupled with his vast bulk and surprising strength. He'd once barricaded half the faculty in the school's temple to Engefalo, the God of teachers and knowledge. He single handedly held the door shut despite the best efforts of those inside. In the end, they had to wait for him to lose interest and wander off before they could get out.

  Incidents such as these were uppermost in the head teacher's mind when he had told Fotio's mother that the fee for Fotio to remain at the school were more than she could possibly afford. The amount she could afford was irrelevant because the fees would always be higher. But Solon was a King, and not known for taking lip from his subjects.

  'Do not make light of this, Fotio the thief, because there are ninety nine others ready to take your place if I decide that your head is too big for your shoulders.'

  'My apologies, Your Majesty, but it is a little overwhelming. Yesterday I was an errand boy and today I am to challenge a God.'

  'Errand boys do not steal treasures from the Gods,' Solon said sternly. 'Fate has chosen you, my boy, and there is nothing you can do about it.'

  'I will do my best, Sire,' Fotio said, and bowed his head.

  'I'm sure you will,' Solon said. 'And to ensure that you have every opportunity to perform at your best, Akakion will accompany you,' Solon pointed to the tall, silent man that had loosed the young thief from his shackles.

  Fotio looked at him properly for the first time. He wasn't all too happy with what he saw. The man was older, with receding grey hair, cut close to the scalp. His eyes were dark and set deep in a weathered face built around a nose like an axe blade. Looking at him, Fotio could almost imagine he was descended from a bird of prey, or was possibly a great eagle or condor that had taken human form.

  'He is skilled in weapons and sorcery, and will be a boon on your
travels,' the King continued as he walked towards the throne at the far end of the room. 'I have my doubts that you will succeed, which is why we are mustering our armies. But a long and bloody war would be costly and there is nothing to lose by giving you a chance.' He flopped down onto the throne in a most un-regal way. Akakion prodded Fotio with his spear, indicating he should move closer to the throne.

  'Monos is mustering his armies in a camp to the south,' Solon said. 'It is at the very edge of our territories and a difficult journey, even if you encounter no problems on the road. The preparations for war are starting at The Temple of All Gods. Go there now and seek the council of the Emperor. He has the ear of Mazi and will be able to explain your task in greater detail.'

  Fotio bowed. 'Yes, my Lord,' he said.

  'Good, Akakion has already made all the arrangements. Oh, and by the way, I wouldn't entertain the idea of swapping sides if I were you.'

  'Your Majesty,' Fotio exclaimed, 'I would never turn my back on The Twelve and my own people!'

  'Your dedication is a ray of sunlight in these dark times,' Solon said, 'but even the strongest of wills is subject to temptation. Knowledge is your shield, and you should know that followers of Monos do not have an easy life. They must spend their first year in devoted service to his glory. In that year, they engage in no sexual activity whatsoever, and follow a strict regime of meditation and fasting. Even after the first year, they do not allow alcohol to pass their lips, eat meat only on Wednesdays, and indulge in sexual liaisons only when the moon is full.'

  'Really? I'm surprised he has any followers at all.'

  'People will do the most depraved things in the name of religion,' Solon said. 'Now go, and may the blessings of The Twelve be with you.'

  Akakion took Fotio by the elbow and led him to the door at the opposite end of the chamber from the throne, where he turned and bowed. Fotio, terrified and confused, mimicked his actions but without the grace and poise.

  (iv)

  The guards in the corridor outside the throne room closed the doors when the two newly acquainted companions had stepped through.

  'Come,' Akakion said. 'I have had travelling packs prepared so we can set off right away. They are waiting for us at the stables.

  The two strode along the corridor leading away from the throne room. More accurately, Akakion strode and Fotio jogged nervously beside him.

  'You're not serious?' Fotio said, as he struggled to keep up with the dour faced priest. 'This can't be happening. I'm not a hero. I'm not even a good errand boy. And I'm a lousy thief. This must be a mistake.'

  'You question the will of the Gods?' Akakion said, and came to an abrupt halt.

  'No, it's their sanity that I'm worried about. If Monos is such a dire threat, why send me to deal with it? I don't think there is anyone in all of Helvenica less qualified than I. Even my aging mother would probably do a better job.'

  For a moment, Fotio saw doubt in Akakion's dark eyes, but it was fleeting. 'You seem less than ideal, but the Gods see more than I. You probably possess qualities that have yet to be tested,' he said. 'There must be unplumbed depths to your personality that will be drawn out in this adventure we are fated to share.'

  'That's not true. I'm completely two dimensional,' Fotio complained, 'what you see is far less than what you get.'

  'If you think you are ill suited to the task then I suggest you petition Aquina to release you,' Akakion said. 'But until you do, I am bound to bring you before the Emperor in The Temple of All Gods. Now shut up and follow me. We will stay the night at the inn in the village of Putami, and it is several hours away.'

  So saying, Akakion turned on his heel and resumed his march along the corridor. For a moment, Fotio entertained the thought of praying to Aquina, but he knew success was unlikely. She would probably have him fed to the sharks for wasting her time, and he'd still have to go on the quest. That's the trouble with messing with the Gods - anything is possible. His dropped his broad shoulders and slouched after Akakion.

  'Is there a coach to Putami?' he asked.

  'Yes,' Akakion said and Fotio's heart jumped, 'but it has already gone and there won't be another for two days. We'll walk. It is only a few hours away and the countryside is beautiful this time of year.'

  'We're going to walk all the way to All Gods, aren't we? Carrying our own packs,' Fotio said, in a resigned tone.

  'Why, yes. The Temple is a journey of many days and the coaches go there but once a month. We will need to carry food to last us ten days, as well as our weapons and such. You do have a weapon, don't you?'

  Fotio shrugged. 'I'm not much of a fighter,' he said.

  Akakion again stopped abruptly. 'You have no weapon,' he said, sounding incredulous. 'You'll definitely need a weapon. The road between here and The Temple has grown wild of late. Come, we will visit the armory before we set off.'

  Fotio shrugged. 'Whatever,' he said, but the priest was already many paces away and accelerating. 'Would you please slow down,' Fotio yelled and took off after him.

  The Palace of Solon the Just also served as a temple to Aquina and was an opulent affair. Had Fotio not been so obsessed with his own ill fate, he would have marveled at the lifelike frescoes of the creatures of the sea, and the amazing walls that shimmered and sparkled like a calm ocean on a sunny day. He would have been in awe of the many priceless statues and tapestries that lined the corridors, most of which showed Aquina dispensing swift and violent justice. But, as is often the case, the stresses of life got in the way and Fotio raced through the beautiful corridors, oblivious to the splendor that surrounded him.

  Akakion led them to a small room at the end of a dark corridor that had a disproportionately large contingent of alert and well-armed guards.

  'Lord Akakion,' one of the guards said, and crossed his heart with the fist of his right hand - the traditional salute of the Helvenican military.

  'At ease, Pontos,' Akakion responded. 'I have come to find a weapon for my companion here. We are setting off on a dangerous journey and he has no arms.'

  Pontos looked Fotio up and down and nodded approvingly. 'Hmmm, he looks like a big strong lad, my Lord. I think I have something that will suit him well,' he said. 'I'll be right back.'

  The guard disappeared into the room while Fotio stared at Akakion. 'Lord? You're a Lord?' he finally managed to stammer out.

  Akakion nodded. 'I am Keeper of the Order.'

  Pontos returned before Fotio could respond, dragging a huge mace behind him.

  'Here you go,' he said, and the other guards sniggered. Fotio looked at Akakion, who nodded encouragingly. He reached out, took the mace from Pontos, and gave it a couple of practice swings. 'Nice,' he said. 'Good balance.' Only then did he notice that everyone was staring at him. 'What?'

  'Doesn't it feel a little heavy?' Pontos asked.

  'No, it's fine,' Fotio said, tossing the mace from hand to hand.

  'I don't think your journey is going to be as dangerous as you think, Lord Akakion,' Pontos said without taking his eyes off Fotio, who had taken to twirling the mace above his head.

  'I think you may be right,' Akakion said, also staring at the young thief. 'Are you sure that's the right mace?'

  'Yes Lord. Nothing else in there is nearly as heavy.'

  'Well, it looks like we've discovered one of your hidden talents,' Akakion said. 'No ordinary man should have the strength to wield the Stone Mace as you do. Congratulations, Fotio. I think we have found you a suitable weapon.'

  'You mean I can keep it?'

  'You can use it for the duration of our adventure,' Akakion said. 'If you want to keep it forever, I am afraid you will need to ask Mazi. It's his mace.'

  Fotio dropped the weapon onto his foot. 'Ouch!' he exclaimed, and then picked it up and hobbled after Akakion, who had already turned and was speeding back along the corridor. 'Would you please slow down.'

  Akakion stopped and looked back impatiently while Fotio caught up.

  'Why are you in such a hurr
y?'

  'I'm not. This is how I always walk.'

  'Great,' Fotio grumbled. 'Well, just so you know, I don't walk that fast.'

  'You will learn,' Akakion said and turned to continue.

  Fotio felt at the bump on his head, noted that the guards were unsighted behind a bend in the corridor and decided that enough was enough. The Gods had ninety-nine others to choose from if he were to vanish. And, to be honest, they were usually too busy squabbling amongst themselves to waste their time on a lowly thief. He just needed to keep away from temples until this whole thing blew over. Or, at the very worst, he could go to Selonisia were Queen Sinnefi ruled, High Priestess of the God Oranos. He and Aqina were usually at one another's throats, and he would probably let Fotio live just to get up Aquina's nose.

  All these thoughts flashed through Fotio's mind in the background, so to speak, in order to justify the big, bad thought that was front and center. 'No I won't,' he said, and swung his newly acquired mace at Akakion's head.

  Without even looking back, the priest raised his spear to parry the blow, hooked its shaft beneath the head of the mace and, with barely a grunt of effort, sent it clattering back along the corridor, and the thief sprawling onto his backside.

  'Are you mad?' Akakion said, and brought his spear down until the point was inches from Fotio's face, 'because only a madman would aim a blow at the head of one of Aquina's favored sons while still walking the corridors of her temple. Do you really think she would allow injury to befall me within these walls? Nor am I a petty thug, or a bumbling city watchman. Not for nothing did King Solon warn you that I am skilled in weapons and sorcery. It is my task to bring you to the Emperor, and I will tell you now, once and once only. If you so much as grumble on our journey I will truss you up like a pig and have you sent to him like a particularly onerous parcel.'

  'The lump on the back of my head aches,' Fotio grumbled and scrambled to his feet. 'I was simply looking to even the score. Anyway, why does it have to be me? There are ninety nine others who would gladly take my place.'

  The priest stared at Fotio. 'The Goddess Aquina truly loves and protects you,' he said. 'I know this because you are still alive despite questioning her wisdom repeatedly while in her temple.'

  There was a sound like a wave crashing into a cliff and Aquina herself appeared behind Fotio.

  'Akakion, loyal servant of the Gods, is a wise man,' she said. Fotio stood, mouth agape, and stared at the blue-eyed Goddess who was shining with an inner light. Akakion dropped to his knees and hoped the thief wouldn't do anything stupid.

  'Fate has chosen you to be the champion of Helvenica, Fotio, and it is in Fate that you must trust. Solon, who rules this land in my name, prefers to trust in steel and tactics rather than in heroes and bravery. I do not. You, Fotio, are our only hope. Succeed, and our people will continue to live free and proud. Fail and Monos will enslave all of Helvenica with the illusion of freedom,' Aquina said, and then paused. Fotio was standing before her, enraptured. Despite the Goddess being over eight foot tall and floating several feet above the ground, she was everything he thought a woman should be.

  Aquina sensed his lust and smiled. 'Fate has decreed that you must do this of your own free will or the endeavor will be doomed to failure,' she continued, 'which is why the Gods have found themselves in a strange and unusual place. We can be little more than spectators watching from the sidelines as others decide our fate. We are powerless to stop the invading armies of our enemy, and our one hope of victory lies with a man who does not care for us. All I can do is beg you to help us, Fotio. Without you, there is no hope for Helvenica or her Gods.'

  Then, just as suddenly as she appeared, the Goddess vanished.

  'She's so beautiful,' Fotio said.

  'Yes she is, and you're lucky she didn't fry you,' Akakion said, getting up off his knees. The Gods of Helvenica were very hands-on and turned up quite frequently - often ready to dispense rough justice to all and sundry. Subtlety was not a Godly virtue and they usually met difficult situations with divine retribution. The fact that Fotio was still walking was a testament to just how desperate the Gods were. 'Come on, let's go,' he said. 'It would be nice to get to Putami before nightfall.'

  Fotio nodded agreement. The Gods were not a big part of his life and were only ever mentioned by various and sundry authority figures as they cursed Fotio's retreating form - 'the Gods will punish you for this' and 'the Gods will punish you for that' had been a constant theme in his upbringing - but he rarely took note. After all, it would be a very petty God who would came after him because he failed to complete his history homework. But if Aquina were taking a personal interest, then it was probably prudent to muzzle his rebellious side. He picked up the mace and followed Akakion, who led him through the palace to the stables outside, where two very heavy packs were waiting for them.

  It did not take long for Fotio's natural belligerence to push through Aquina's glamour. He looked longingly at the many fine horses that could easily carry their load for them and grumbled as he shouldered his heavy pack.

  'If our task is so vital for The Twelve, why can't we use these fine animals to speed us on our way? Even one to carry our provisions would make the journey quicker and easier.'

  'The armies of Helvenica are mustering,' Akakion said. 'There are no horses to spare for the likes of us. The Emperor may furnish us with mounts if he thinks our quest worthy of the cost. Every parathes must be accounted for in times of war, and if providing us with horses means that there are fewer soldiers ready to meet the enemy, then I doubt the cost will be worth it.'

  'Before we set out, I must visit my mother,' Fotio said. 'She frets if she doesn't see me regularly. I want to let her know that I am going on a quest to aid the Gods, and that I may never return.'

  'I'm impressed that you take the time out from self pity to think of your family,' Akakion said, and eased the heavy pack onto his back. 'Lead the way.'

  Fotio shot the priest what he thought was a withering look. 'I want to go alone,' he said. 'It won't take me long. Have a prayer or whatever it is you people do to kill some time.'

  'I don't trust you,' the priest said, bluntly. 'Lead the way.'

  Fotio shook his head, slung the mace over one shoulder and set off towards the gates on the Eastern side of the palace grounds. 'Come on, then.'

  (v)

  Akakion followed Fotio to a small house on a hillside overlooking the harbor and palace.

  'Foti!' said the vision of beauty and light that opened the door to the young thief's knocking. 'How nice to see you so soon after your last visit, and who is this wonderful looking man you have with you?'

  This time it was Akakion who stood transfixed with mouth agape. Fotio's "aging mother" was the most beautiful women the priest had ever seen. She was tall and elegant, with golden eyes, and curly black hair that tumbled in graceful locks to her shoulders.

  'Hi Mom,' Fotio said, 'this is Lord Akakion, Keeper of the Order. We're going to go and fight a Mad God's army together. I probably won't survive.'

  'I'm very sorry to disturb you, madam,' Akakion said quickly, in an effort to cut off the stream of negativity flowing out of Fotio's mouth. He would have added an angry stare at the young thief, but his eyes refused to release the beautiful woman from their sight. 'I am, as Fotio has said, Lord Akakion. My task, set by Aquina herself, is to accompany your son to The Temple of All Gods. He is fated for greatness, or so the Goddess believes.'

  Fotio's mother looked from Akakion to her son and back again. She noted Akakion's rich clothing upon which the symbol of Mazi featured heavily. She was very impressed by his strong, handsome features and the large spear that he carried in his big, strong hands. She could see no subterfuge or fraud in his dark eyes and quickly concluded that a man such as this did not skulk around in the background, waiting to take advantage of the vulnerable. A man such as this did not steal or deceive. No. A man such as this took what he wanted, by force if necessary. To resist him would be futile.


  A hot flush kissed her cheeks at roughly the same time that Akakion's words of praise for her son, after having made their way with some difficulty through the mazelike labyrinth of her subconscious, presented themselves to her maternal pride. A huge grin stretched over her near-perfect features. 'I knew you were special,' she said, and rushed out to embrace her son. Fotio blushed.

  'I've just made lunch and, as usual, I have made too much,' she said, putting a proud arm as far around her son's broad shoulders as she could. 'Why don't you boys come inside and make an old lady happy?'

  'I don't think we can,' Fotio said, looking at the priest for confirmation.

  Akakion nodded. 'I'm afraid we must make haste,' he said.

  'Then you can take some with you,' she said, and rushed back inside before Akakion could answer. She returned almost instantly carrying a plate covered by a cloth bag, which she handed to the priest.

  'Foti can bring the plate back later,' she said.

  (vi)

  Akakion and Fotio followed the road as it wound down the hill and into the city of Neraki, capital of Aquinos. The city was a small, dense place, with too many people trying to occupy the small spit of land between the city walls and the harbor. The land beyond the wall was sparsely populated, not because of the protection that the city provided - Aquina ensured that Aquinos was a safe place by visiting divine retribution upon the unruly. It was just that your average Nerakian would rather nail his or her privates to a post than live beyond the wall. It was a widely held view within the land that those living outside the city were less sophisticated than their urban cousins, and everyone in Neraki considered themselves sophisticated

  The two travelers ambled along the crowded streets between the white and blue painted buildings - Aquina's favorite colors - and into the busiest docks in Helvenica, where the smell of the sea permeated all. They walked without talking - Akakion was busy eating honey cakes and Fotio was wondering how he was going to get himself out of this ridiculous mess - which was just as well because the docks were a noisy place. Had they been inclined to chat as they walked, they would have struggled to make themselves heard over the cry of the sea birds and the sound of honest sailors busying themselves doing nautical things to ships.

  Akakion was on his seventh cake by the time the docks gave way to the Avenue of All Gods, where stood all the temples not dedicated to Aquina. It was considerably quieter here and Fotio could hear the priest masticating the rock-hard cookies.

  'Are you sure you don't want one?' Akakion asked as they strolled along the road.

  'Positive.'

  'They're amazingly good. Your mother is quite the cook.'

  Fotio smirked. 'Those cakes are pretty much all she eats.'

  Akakion swallowed down a mouthful of cake. 'Really?'

  'Yep. We ate honey cakes and drank rose nectar two out of every three meals when I was growing up. Just the thought of eating one now makes me queasy.'

  Akakion took up another cake from the plate. It was the third to last. 'They're certainly very tasty,' he said, 'and a blessing for those who were too busy to eat breakfast this morning, but probably wouldn't constitute a balanced diet on their own. By the way, your mother is a very beautiful woman.'

  Fotio shrugged and walked on in silence.

  'What's her name?' Akakion asked.

  'Neoleia.'

  'That's nice. She looks very young.'

  'She's always looked exactly like that, for as long as I can remember.'

  'Really?'

  'Yes, really,' Fotio snapped. 'Hasn't aged a day in over twenty years.'

  Akakion was about to say "really" again, but the look on Fotio's face warned him against it. 'You haven't mentioned your father.'

  'He died before I was born,' Fotio said. 'On a ship taken by a storm.'

  'Eternity in Psofios realm is the fate of all mortal men,' Akakion said which drew an irritated glare from his companion.

  'If you weren't Keeper of the Order,' Fotio said, his temper obviously on the rise.

  'The way I see it, as long as I don't turn my back on you, I'm safe,' Akakion said, making it obvious what he thought of Fotio temper. 'And what does it matter if I am the Keeper of the Order? It's not like it means anything, really, if you look at it objectively.'

  'What?'

  'Being Keeper of the Order is what I do, not who I am. Apart from the title and the divine powers granted me by the Gods, I'm just like everybody else.'

  'It's an office granted by Mazi himself!' Fotio said, his anger ceding the floor to disbelief and shock. 'I can't believe that you, a priest of Mazi, just said that.'

  'Well, I've met him, haven't I? In fact, I've met them all.'

  Fotio stared at the priest with a horrified look on his face. He'd always worn his disdain for the Gods like a badge of honor, an outward symbol of his defiance to all those who had made his life difficult through the years. He wasn't quite ready to hear the same level of disrespect from one of the highest ranked priests in the land.

  'They're not good role models, is what I'm trying to say,' Akakion said, in the face of Fotio's face. 'Take Aquina for example.'

  A look of panic crossed Fotio's features.

  'It's okay, she's not listening,' Akakion said. 'She probably lost interest when we left the palace.'

  'You sure about that?'

  'Would I be talking like this if I wasn't? She'll look in every now and then to make sure we're on track, but that's about it. She's probably off looking for something to get offended about so she can have a righteous smite. That's what I mean. Aquina's temper tantrums are the stuff of legend. She goes off at the smallest provocation and her reactions are always over the top. If my eight-year-old nephew behaved like that, my brother would take a belt to him. But Aquina's a God, so she can sink a ship because its sail isn't the right shade of blue and there isn't anything anyone can do about it. That's not how a God should behave. It a disgrace.'

  The two lapsed into silence again as Fotio wondered where the sanity had got to this morning. Akakion masticated his way through the last cake. When he had finished, Fotio took the plate from him and carefully placed it into his pack.

  'So what you're telling me is that you think the Gods, The Twelve Divine beings that rule over the mortal lands, are a bunch of irresponsible brats who do as they please because no one can take a belt to their backsides.'

  'Pretty much. I've never met a God I can respect, to be honest.'

  'But what about all that divine wisdom stuff in the palace? And anyway, you're a priest,' Fotio said. 'You have to respect the Gods. It's in the job description.'

  'I'm not an idiot. In their temples they can hear everything. Talking like this would see my career go up in flames, and I would probably follow shortly after. Anyway, as a priest I have to serve the Gods. No one ever said anything about liking the bastards.'

  'If you don't like them, then why are you going to defend them?'

  'Because I am Keeper of the Order and there is nothing like an invading army to mess up order,' Akakion said. 'Look lad, you're young and innocent, despite the fact that you think you're old and cynical. The Gods are part of who we are and, while we may not be perfect, Helvenica works. We have laws that keep the peace most of the time and food enough to feed all. What are the chances that this will continue if Monos takes over?'

  'I don't know,' Fotio said.

  'Neither do I, and that's the problem. What if Monos is one of those needy buggers who's gotta have sacrifices morning, noon, and night? Or one of those horrible micromanagers? I can see it now. Thou shalt not do this, and thou shalt not do that, and thou shalt kiss my butt on Fridays,' Akakion said. 'Only a maniac would stop his followers eating meat.'

  'Okay,' Fotio squeaked. 'I understand.'

  The tone of Fotio's voice brought Akakion back from the angry edge. 'Sorry,' he said. 'I get a little passionate when discussing religion.'

  'That's okay. Passion is good. It shows you care.'

  'I di
dn't always think like this, you know. I was as fresh faced and keen as every other neophyte in my class when I first started. If I had gone off and become a priest at some tiny temple somewhere in the sticks, then I probably wouldn't be so cynical. But like a fool I wanted more. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to serve my Gods with everything I had. I've been Keeper of the Order for as long as I can remember, at the beck and call of The Twelve, and I've yet to find one shred of evidence that there is anything divine in our Gods. Not one shred!'

  Fotio shrugged and swung his mace from his left to his right shoulder.

  'Do you know why the mace that you carry is here in Aquinos rather than in the armory in The Temple of All Gods?'

  'No, but I think I'm about to find out,' Fotio mumbled.

  'It's because it reminds Mazi of something that makes him angry. Every time he sees it, he flies into a rage and goes out looking for fountains to smash.'

  'Fountains?' Fotio said, interested and amused despite himself.

  'Yes, fountains. I don't know exactly why and I was too afraid to ask.'

  The walk from the Palace to the city walls was not long and they soon found themselves at the city gates, looking out into the tamed farmlands beyond. Fotio was a city boy by heart and was most comfortable in enclosed environments. The wide-open fields and pastures in which wheat grew and cows farted made him uncomfortable. A shiver went down his spine and he resisted the urge to turn around and run home. 'So what you're telling me is that we're going on a mad quest to save the Gods despite the fact neither of us like them,' he said. 'Does that sound right to you?'

  Akakion shrugged. 'Pretty much.'

  'And we're doing this because the new God may be worse than the old Gods.'

  'It's not just the Gods, lad. It's Helvenica. Our land, our country,' Akakion said. 'The armies of Monos are mustering upon our borders and their one and only purpose is to make us a part of them. They don't just want to kill our Gods, they want to kill Helvenica.' He pulled a small flask from his pack and took a swig before offering it to Fotio. 'Stiporo?'

  'Thanks,' Fotio said. He took a drink from the proffered flask and gagged. The priest's liquor was not for the faint of heart. 'A noble cause,' he managed to say between choking coughs. 'But I am not nearly as dedicated to the Helvenican way of life. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just wander off when you aren't looking?'

  'If you don't go, Aquina will feed you to the sharks.'

  'That's coercion that is! Fate said that I had to do this of my own free will!'

  'Yes, yes, of course she did. What she didn't tell you was that if you didn't go of your own free will, then your fate would be to be eaten by sharks.'

  'Oh. I think I'm beginning to understand,' Fotios said. He took a second, deeper drink from the flask.

  Akakion smiled. 'And when all is said and done, being a hero is far better than being a thief.'

  'But being alive is far better than being dead.' Fotio said and took another swig of the flask. 'Come on, let's go.'

  Akakion withdrew a second flask from his pack. 'I always carry a second in case of cold weather,' he said, as the two set off on the road to Putami.