The Godlost Land (6 page)

Last of course there lived here a number of mixed blood. Those who had some satyr or dryad blood. Even some he understood with faun blood. In a strange twist of fate those of mixed blood who had always lived apart from normal humans in the five kingdoms still did. The realms of the other peoples surrounded the five kingdoms and within them he guessed things would be the other way around. It would be those with some human ancestry that chose to live apart from the others. There was no actual danger to them though. No one would cause harm to those of mixed blood simply because of their ancestry. But still, he guessed that they had always felt unwelcome, and the wilds outside of the cities and towns had become their home. Strangely, nothing had changed for them, even though the dryads at least worshipped Artemis as one of their principle goddesses. Even now that the Goddess had descended and her priests ruled the five kingdoms, they still found themselves unwelcome by the temple and the wilds were still their home.

But their mixed blood often granted them abilities that helped them to survive in the wilds. The ability to remain unseen was the usual one. Satyr's and dryads were naturally good at that. Fauns were too, and more than that they were fast. He had once seen a faun run, every bit as fleet of foot as a deer. A strange thing when they walked so awkwardly.

He discovered when he first got a good glimpse of her that his visitor was a dryad and was tempted to draw his blade there and then. Dryads were seldom seen in the five kingdoms. They had their own realms further away,  the closest being Inel Ison which lay far to the east. It was in fact so far that to get to it not only would you have to travel across the eastern border of the Rainbow Mountains where he lived, but then traverse the entire Enteria Regency to the east of that as well. That was four hundred leagues at least. A very long journey for someone on foot.

The realms of the other peoples of the world were even further away. By some perverse act of Tyche the five kingdoms were completely surrounded by the realms of the satyrs, dryads and fauns. Not that that was a bad thing or that the humans had any trouble with the other peoples. But generally the races didn't have that much to do with one another. There was some trade, some diplomatic contact, but not much more. So only those of mixed blood were normally seen in the five kingdoms – though he understood that in Vardania to the west there were some faun villages. Of course, Harvas Greens the nearest realm of the fauns was just north west of Vardania. But it wasn't the dryad's race that bothered him. It was her allegiance and the reason why he had wanted to draw his sword.

When the Goddess had first descended and brought death to the cities of the five kingdoms, many had asked the dryads for help. Many had fled to their lands, Inel Ison to the east and Pariton far to the north. They had asked for them to intercede. They had begged. After all, the dryads were known to be worshippers of Artemis. If anyone could placate the Goddess they thought it would be them.

But nothing had come of their pleas. From what he understood the dryads had expressed sympathy but not much more. And they hadn't accepted any of the refugees. But then Artemis was one of their goddesses and they only had three; the Mother who some said was their name for Hera, the Father who many thought was really Zeus, and their daughter the Huntress. They simply could not be enemies of the Goddess even when she had transformed from a well loved deity into a monster. They might not be Artemis' allies in this monstrous attack she had unleashed upon the five kingdoms, but they were still friendly with her. That made the dryad unfriendly with him. It might make her an enemy.

She was a strange looking woman. But then, dryads were a strange looking people. Not that he had seen many during his days. There weren't many of them in the five kingdoms. A number of mixed blood, but not many pure bloods. And the difference between their half blood children and them was as always greater than he was prepared for.

Her skin was like living bark. It moved and bent like flesh but it was the colour of a pine tree's trunk and filled with cracks and lines. It made him wonder if it would peel off the same way as bark did from a tree trunk. Her eyes were brown and green, the colour of leaves and trees. And her hair was a long tangled mess of vines, twigs and leaves that hung down her back. She really did look as if a tree had somehow come to life. And yet despite the strangeness, she was attractive. Long and limber, svelte of form and with enough curves to please a man. There was a reason that there were many people with some dryad blood flowing in their veins. She was also surprisingly tall for her people. He stood six feet in his bare feet, and she was barely an inch shy of that. He liked that, even if some might find her a little intimidating.

Even more troubling than her nature was her attire. She was dressed in wardwood, the traditional armour of her people. It was a strange mixture of wood and leather strips woven into a coarse linen. Her people claimed it was more protective, lighter and more flexible than leather, and maybe it was – he didn't know. But it was a strange looking affair. It looked messy with tails of the wood and leather strips sticking out everywhere, and it fitted her far too tightly, showing off her womanly figure in an almost indecent way. It was almost like an undergarment in that respect, and definitely not the more modest attire that women should wear.

But hers was modified further so that while her left arm was covered all the way to the wrist, the right was bare from the shoulder. On that arm instead she wore a gauntlet of steel rings bonded into leather that ran all the way to her shoulder. And as she was wearing a sword on her left hip he knew that could mean only one thing. She was a warrior of some sort. A swords-woman. Maybe a custodian, the dryad's idea of rangers.

“Tree Mother.”

He greeted her formally as he had been taught to as a student. Back in the days when dryads had been friends. People worthy of respect. Back when the Goddess too had been a friend. And when wizards of whatever stripe had been learned artisans of magic and not frightened refugees.

“Wizard.”

“Not so much.”

Harl denied the charge without so much as a thought, and not simply because wizards were hunted. Arcane smiths did not call themselves wizards. They did not cast. But with that one word he was beginning to understand why she had come. She knew he had magic. How she knew that he didn't know, but it didn't matter. She thought he was a true wizard instead of a mere arcane smith. And there was some magical service she wanted.

“I saw the ashes of the minotaur and knew them for a wizard's work. And then I followed the trail here. If you can kill a beast with fire than you must be a wizard of some sort.”

“A spark, no more. And I did not kill the beast with fire. I only burnt its remains. There are no more wizards – or hadn't you heard. Your Goddess murdered them all.”

Bitterness coloured his words. He knew so many of those who had fallen to the Goddess' beast army. He could only hope that some had survived. That they had made it to safety somewhere out beyond the five kingdoms. And maybe now that he had been found, he should head that way as well. But it was a faint hope.

“We follow the Goddess Artemis it is true, but we are not allies of the current temple. We simply chose not to cross one another's paths. Until now.”

Until now?
Harl was caught by surprise by that. Pleased in a way as well as it implied that things were not well in the forest realms of the dryads. Had the Goddess sent her beasts beyond the five kingdoms? She might have if she considered her grip on the five kingdoms was tight enough that she could send her armies further. But even if that was so it was far too late to be of any use to anyone. Five years too late. And what did she mean “current temple”? How could the temple to Artemis not be the same one it had always been?

“Then welcome to the world of dark dreams and death that our lives have become these last years.”

It was a bitter thing to say, and he regretted it. But it was also the truth. If the Goddess had turned against the dryads it was best they understood how bad life was going to become.

“You speak of darkness because you do not understand. You do not know the Goddess. The glory that she brings.”

“The glory of cold-blooded slaughter! I understand her only too well.” He understood most of all that he hated her.

“The Goddess has reason for all she does and it is noble. She did not do that. This is not her doing!”

“She had no reason and of course it's her doing! The beasts come from her temples! Her priests control them! And her soldiers patrol the towns with them!”

Could she really be defending the Huntress he wondered? Trying to pretend it wasn't her? That was insane! But more than that it was an offence and the bile poured from him.

“There can be no reason for what she did! Cities in ruins! Towns and villages emptied of people! Half the people in the five kingdoms are dead! Women and children! Babies! All torn to pieces. And all by the chimera she unleashed on a land that had no qualm with her. Her temple was as welcome as those of the other deities. Her worshippers were accepted. None caused her the slightest harm. And look at how she rewarded that decency!”

“There is much that you do not know. And you place the blame in the wrong place.”

The dryad held her ground for some reason. She should have known better. It just angered him further.

“Tree Mother, she is guilty and there is no cause sufficient to excuse her crime. Not then. Not ever. Artemis the Huntress as she was will now forever be known as Artemis the Murderess!”

Or she would be in his heart. And likely in the hearts of all those who had survived her attack. It would even be in the hearts of those who had only heard of what she had done. Though he couldn't be certain, he suspected that would hurt her. Gods needed to be worshipped after all. And her worship had largely ended. In fact, everywhere that her armies had not yet travelled, her temples were being burnt, her priests thrown out. She might hold sway in the five kingdoms, but everywhere else she was gone. At least in the nearer realms of humans. A deity struck from the people's hearts. He understood that was an unwelcome thing for a god. He could only hope she felt the pain for her vile act.

“That is a base thing to say! Especially when you do not know the truth. You do not know what actually happened.”

It was unbelievable. The dryad was actually defending the Huntress! Still! And it made him yet more angry. Angry and bitter.

“Tree Mother I was there at Lion's Crest when she descended to the world.”

And that was where it had all begun. Where the Huntress' beast armies had first arrived. Where the Huntress herself had finally returned to the world, or so it was said. And it was where as far as he knew she still was. It was also where the devastation had been the worst. In the other cities of the five kingdoms the deaths had been less. More had been able to flee. But in Lion's Crest the destruction had been complete. If he had to guess only a couple of thousand people had survived. And that from a city that had once been called home by over a hundred thousand. There were no words to describe such a terrible loss. And no war ever fought had killed so many.

“I saw the arrival of her beast armies as they rampaged through the city, slaughtering at will. I watched the death and destruction. I witnessed the death of the city. And I was there on the wall at the end with Rickarial. I stood with him. With a hundred others I stood between him and the beasts. With sword and spell I held the line until there was no line left to hold. And I watched him fall. So do not tell me what I do not know! What I have not seen with my own eyes! I know all that I need to know. I have seen all that I ever wished to see. I have witnessed my fill of Artemis' doing!”

More than his fill. He also had memories no man should ever have to have. That was but one of them. There were many more from that terrible day. Blood flowing in the streets, turning the sandstone paving red as well as many of the delicate fluted columns that decorated the fronts of the important homes and shops. Bodies littering the ground like leaves in the fall. Women crying as they hunted for their loved ones. Beasts descending on helpless people in their thousands. Cerberi ripping them apart with teeth and claws, minotaurs smashing them with horns and hooves. Leonids tearing them apart with ferocious claws and thunderous roars. Even harpies descending on them from above.

And then there were the manticores, monsters that should never have been seen in any land. And over and above all of that there were still a few more memories that he knew would never go away. The cloying stench of blood. The sound of women crying and children screaming in terror. And the disbelieving cries of the men as they kept shouting that the beasts were pouring out of Artemis' great temple. No one could believe that. Then.