Three (The Godslayer Cycle Book 3) Read online

  Books by Ron Glick:

  Godslayer Cycle

  One

  Two

  Three

  Chaos Rising

  Tarinel's Song

  Immortal's Discord

  Stranger's Silence (July, 2016)

  Oz – Wonderland

  The Wizard In Wonderland

  Dorothy Through the Looking Glass

  The Wonderful Alice of Oz

  The Marvelous Neverland of Oz (January, 2016)

  Trivia Books

  Ron El's Comic Book Trivia Volumes 1- 12

  Other Works

  U.S. Political Prisoner Since 2004

  The Godslayer Cycle

  Three

  by

  Ron Glick

  In Dedication

  To Tanath,

  The real immortal beauty

  which inspired the legend.

  &

  To John,

  Still lost,

  still searching for you.

  Copyright © Ron Glick, 2015

  Cover Art and Design by Laura Gordon (www.bookcovermachine.wordpress.com)

  ISBN #: 1514616580 - ISBN-13 #: 978-1514616581

  Table of Contents

  Map of Na'Ril 5

  Glossary 7

  What has come before... 15

  Prologue 29

  Chapter 1 46

  Chapter 2 62

  Chapter 3 79

  Chapter 4 95

  Chapter 5 111

  Chapter 6 128

  Chapter 7 145

  Chapter 8 161

  Chapter 9 176

  Chapter 10 192

  Chapter 11 211

  Chapter 12 229

  Chapter 13 244

  Chapter 14 259

  Chapter 15 274

  Chapter 16 290

  Chapter 17 306

  Chapter 18 321

  Chapter 19 337

  Chapter 20 352

  Epilogue 369

  About the Author 384

  Map of Na'Ril

  Glossary

  Old Gods – The Pantheon

  Airek God and Goddess of Charity and Greed, Master and Mistress of Benevolence.

  Charith God and Goddess of Life and Death, Mistress and Master of Mortality.

  Dariel God and Goddess of Truth and Deception, Baron and Baroness of the Dark.

  Elgoth God and Goddess of Knowledge and Mystery, Steward and Stewardess of Learning.

  Karmel God and Goddess of Magic and Chance, Lady and Lord of Fortune.

  Lendus God and Goddess of Bounty and Famine,

  Guardian of the Grail.

  Malik God and Goddess of War and Peace, Lord and Lady of Strife.

  Naris God and Goddess of Love and Hate, Maiden and Champion of the Heart.

  Sarla God and Goddess of Land and Sky, Empress and Emperor of the Day.

  The New Order

  The Greater Powers

  Anlar God of the Hunt, aka, the Hunter

  Alana Goddess of the Moon

  Ava God of the Sun, aka, the Sun God

  Belask Goddess of the Unseen

  Corus God of Knowledge

  Davini Goddess of Soil, aka, Maiden of the Soil

  Eariel Goddess of Wisdom

  Elevan Goddess of Death

  Faetious God of Deception

  Galanor God of Harvest, aka, Knight of the Fields

  Galentine God of Honor (deceased)

  Imery Goddess of Truth (deceased)

  Kalrios God of the Sea

  Kartar God of War

  Kelvor God of Justice (deceased)

  Looris Goddess of Fertility

  Mastron God of Storm, aka, the Stormlord

  Orlicia Goddess of the Dream

  Praelis Goddess of Memory

  Quines God of Health

  Shariel Goddess of Purity

  Thelug God of the Beasts

  Urlock God of Mountains, aka, the Mountain King

  Zantel God of Merchants

  The Lesser Powers

  Ankor God of Mischief, aka, the Prankster.

  Daerma Goddess of Dreams

  Enuchek Goddess of Mystery

  Laer God of Darkness

  Seree Goddess of Charm

  Srell God of Shadow

  Wronri Goddess of Seduction

  Other Gods

  Bracken The dwarven God of Hillfire (Lava). (deceased)

  Opopu A mysterious, raven-headed being

  The Mortals

  Aaron Officer in Carland Army. Marshal of Justin Surelake.

  Aliban Stinhauf Father of Mariabelle. Grandfather of Geoffrey.

  Alisia Bearer of Three. Thirteen years old.

  Alsen Mercenary. Derek's younger brother.

  Aris Captain of The Gull-Griffin.

  Avery Self-Proclaimed God. Bearer of One.

  Bracken Hillfire Dwarf. Proprietor of Wyrm's Fang Tavern.

  Brea aka, Lillian. Priestess of Imery.

  Derik Mercenary. Alsen's older brother. Rendered an imbecile by Brea.

  Erias Priestess of Zantel. Ordered Maribel Goodsmith stoned to death.

  Faerun Avery's former apprenticeship master.

  Ferdinand Lurion Game player, tried to cheat young Nathaniel Goodsmith. Sent Erias to Oaken Wood.

  Gelda Stonerichter Sister of Bracken Hillfire.

  Gelfer Stronerichter Bracken Hillfire's father, a patriarch of the Kelmic Clan.

  Geoffrey Goodsmith Son of Nathaniel and Mariabelle. Grandson of Aliban.

  Gerelda Erias' mother, barmaid.

  Gravin Mutineer. Wielder of Two. (deceased)

  Hamil Avery's scribe. Ankor in disguise.

  Helmen Stonerichter Bracken Hillfire's true name.

  Justin Surelake aka, Justin I, aka, Lord Justin. King of Carland.

  Lartien Master of Avery's guard.

  Lelferm Stonerichter Next eldest brother of Bracken Hillfire, framed Bracken Hillfire for patracide.

  Loris Mercenary guard employed by Avery.

  Mansel Innkeep in Scollhaven. Father of Viola.

  Mariabelle Goodsmith Wife of Nathaniel. Mother of Geoffrey. Daughter of Aliban. Namesake of Maribel. (deceased)

  Maribel Goodsmith Nathaniel Goodsmith's mother. Druidess. (deceased)

  Martin Mysterious follower of Avery's from the future.

  Nalen Mercenary guard employed by Avery.

  Nathaniel Goodsmith Pantheon's Avatar. Father of Geoffrey. Husband of Mariabelle. Son of Maribel.

  Olric Stinhauf Son of Aliban. Brother to Mariabelle Goodsmith.

  Olsef Of the first men. Made covenant with the Pantheon.

  Rantell Priest of Anlar. Murdered Faerun. Branded Avery.

  Timolth Stonerichter Eldest brother of Bracken Hillfire.

  Viola Daughter of Mansel. Avery's lover/wife.

  The Immortals

  Constant (The) aka, El'ba Ilitro. One of the trinity of powers in addition to the Eternal and Infinite – Recently came into his power, physical form resists any change.

  Dart Herasdaughter aka, Alalya Mirnette. Demi-God with ability to teleport anywhere on Na'Ril. 400 years old.

  Eternal (The) aka, phoenix, fenhuang, aka, garuda. One of the trinity of powers in addition to the Constant and Infinite – Guardian of the First City, moving back through time.

  Farius A mysterious member of the Conclave, Tanath's contact in Surenport.

  Player (The) aka, Laris Montise. Demi-God specializing in games of chance, “decades” old.

  Tanath Demi-God, possessing the power to duplicate her body, eighty years old.

  Witness (The) Demi-God, awareness of all things destined to happen. 600 years old.

  Locations

  Amber (The) A crystalline mass
encasing the First City.

  Brightening A southern town.

  Carland Kingdom bordering Wildelands to the west, founded by Justin I twenty years ago.

  Drae Elbus Lost city of utopian lore, target of many delving companies, guarded by the Knights of Drae Elbus

  Eastern Reach Military zone bordering eastern side of Wildelands.

  Ecelor Seaside town.

  First City Legendary genesis of where all mortals' existence began on Na'Ril.

  Kellenburg Avery's hometown.

  Levitz Coastal community. City taken by Gravin.

  Loru The Constant's homeland (somewhere in the Western Realms).

  Na'Ril World's name.

  Oaken Wood Nathaniel Goodsmith's hometown.

  Pavilion Central plateau of power for the Pantheon, located on an astral plane.

  Purtsy City-state in Welshire, hometown of Gravin.

  Scollhaven Township in Wildelands. Avery's initial base of control.

  Surenport Capital of Carland.

  Welshire Territory south of Carland, occupied by city-states.

  Wellington Agricultural trade community, near the eastern border of Carland.

  Western Realms Sealed society on another continent.

  Wildelands An area of largely unsettled, heavily forested, mountainous lands.

  Wyrm's Fang Tavern Tavern formerly owned by Bracken Hillfire (destroyed).

  The Blades

  First The prime sword, mold for the Nine. Wielder: Nathaniel Goodsmith.

  Hal'bracken Mystical axe of Bracken, the God of Hillfire. Wielder: Bracken Hillfire.

  One First of the Nine, power of imperception. Wielder: Avery

  Two Second of the Nine, power over liquids. Wielder: Nathaniel Goodsmith.

  Three Third of the Nine, power over time. Wielder: Alisia.

  Miscellaneous

  Artices Varied texts of Pantheon faith.

  Codex Imeretia The scriptures of Imery.

  First Men Mythical group of people said to be the first humans on Na'Ril.

  Gull-Griffin (The) Ship which Gravin attempted to mutiny.

  Knights of Drae Elbus Hereditary guardsmen of the lost city of Drae Elbus

  Oraclice Parable depicting the consequences of defying the Gods.

  Rules of Divinity 1) A deity must name him or herself when asked.

  2) A God cannot take a mortal life. 3) A God is always bound by his or her word.

  What has come before...

  Nathaniel Goodsmith was an orphaned young man living in the secluded community of Oaken Wood. His mother, Maribel, had been a faithful druidess of the Old Gods, known to some as the Pantheon, a group of nine Gods and Goddesses of duality. However, after his mother's brutal murder, Nathaniel himself has foregone belief in the Old Gods.

  In this, Nathaniel is not alone. For centuries, a new religion has aggressively sought to eliminate all belief in the Old Gods. The New Order, as this new faith is known, consists of forty-eight new Gods – twenty-four Higher Powers and twenty-four Lower Powers – who have declared war upon the Gods of old, seeking to wipe belief in them from the face of Na'Ril. And the Pantheon is powerless to fight back against this aggressive opponent, for they are bound by their covenants with mortals not to war with other Gods.

  Bound by these restrictive rules, the Old Gods have all but vanished from the land. But Malik, the God and Goddess of War and Peace, devised a plan to reverse this downward spiral. With the assistance of Charith, God and Goddess of Life and Death, he has created nine magic swords, each empowered with the ability to slay a God. Malik's plan had been to release the swords to the Pantheon's faithful for them to seek out and destroy the New Order Gods – thus preserving their own existence within the confines of the covenants.

  However, one of the Pantheon decided that Malik's strategy was too dangerous and set out to redirect the swords towards another purpose. Ensorceling the swords in prophecy, Dariel, God and Goddess of Truth and Deception, stole the swords and banished them into the mortal realm, concealed forever from the eyes of the Gods.

  In an effort to try to regain control of the swords' purpose, the Pantheon created an avatar matrix – a hereditary power passed down through bloodlines of their faithful so that when the swords would one day be revealed, there would be an agent amongst the mortals who would keep the swords away from agents of the New Order.

  Now the swords have begun to emerge. In far-off Scollhaven, a town located in the heart of the Wildelands, a heretic named Avery has found the first sword, One, with its incredible power to have its wielder be unseen. Though he initially intends to seek revenge, Avery instead uses the sword's magic to pass himself off as a new God of Vengeance to the people of the small township.

  In response to One's activation, the avatar matrix awoke, as well. But to the Pantheon's chagrin, it has emerged within Nathaniel – who owes no loyalty to the Old Gods. The plan to have a viable agent in the mortal realm quickly came unraveled as Nathaniel rejected their efforts to recruit him. Nathaniel has a family – a wife, Mariebelle, and son, Geoffrey – and he has no interest in traveling on a quest to find the swords. The Pantheon warns Nathaniel that there might be consequences brought on by the prophecy if he did not act, but the mortal man chooses to reject the Pantheon's request for aid.

  Meanwhile, an agent of Imery, Goddess of Truth for the New Order, has taken notice of Nathaniel, and through her, so has her Goddess. Lady Brea is a traveling priestess of Imery's who has inadvertently become charmed through Old God magic to be infatuated with Nathaniel. Believing Nathaniel to be one of the Old Gods in hiding, Imery empowers her priestess with the power to see truth in all things, and sets her upon Nathaniel's trail. It is a fruitless enterprise, but the Goddess of Truth has been alerted to something out of the ordinary masked from the eyes of the New Order.

  To make matters worse, Imery has also identified a disappearance of her faithful within the small town of Scollhaven. Coupled with the mystery that is Nathaniel Goodsmith along with the attack on her devoted's faith, Imery is compelled to send Brea to Scollhaven to investigate.

  The prophecy in the meantime was not to be denied. Without warning, warriors proclaiming themselves to be servants of Imery attack and murder Mariabelle and kidnap Geoffrey, burning down the local tavern in the process. Nathaniel had been away meeting with Airek, God and Goddess of Charity and Greed, who was attempting to sway the man to the Pantheon's cause. Upon his return, Nathaniel is grief-stricken, but realizes that he must take up the Pantheon's cause after all, if he is ever to have a chance of finding his son. Charith also offers him one other incentive – if he succeeds in slaying the New Order's Goddess of Death, the Pantheon could retrieve the soul of Nathaniel's wife and resurrect her.

  The only clue Nathaniel has to follow is the sudden departure of Imery's priestess, Brea, and so with the aid of the tavern's proprietor, a life-long dwarven friend, Bracken Hillfire, Nathaniel sets off in pursuit of the Imery's agent.

  Along the way, Malik reveals to Nathaniel that the nine swords actually had a predecessor – First. Apparently, the nine swords were molded from First, and the original blade had been hidden away, waiting for the awakening of the Avatar to be used as a weapon to help in retrieving the other nine swords. Malik's own deception in hiding First was uncovered by Dariel, but Malik does not immediately reveal this to Nathaniel.

  Instead, the God and Goddess of War and Peace reveals another aspect of the avatar matrix – embedded talents and abilities which need and time would activate within the Avatar. Malik's own contribution to the matrix was an innate knowledge of how to wield any weapon, including the great swords themselves.

  In Scollhaven, Avery has successfully converted the township to his new religion, having each resident brand themselves with the New Order's symbol for heresy, a four-horned symbol seared into the flesh of any outcast. Avery however has made it into his holy symbol, and citizens have branded themselves to demonstrate their devotion to their new God. Amongst his new faithful, Av
ery has also acquired a scholar, Hamil, to record his rise to divinity and a host of lovers to sate his suddenly virile urges, though none are so special to him as one maiden, the bartender's daughter, Viola.

  Yet even as Avery basks in his newfound potency, images and ideas of the mythical Godslayer begin to prey upon his mind. He reasons that the sword must have belonged to the Old Gods – and has even declared himself the progeny of Malik and Charith – but that no God would have relinquished such a sword unless they were dead. Fearing the Godslayer of myth would emerge to slay him, the new God of Vengeance organizes a retreat from Scollhaven, taking along with him Hamil and Viola as companions.

  Unaware that the target of her search has already left Scollhaven, Brea is confronted by the amorous advances of one of her two hired mercenaries and uses her magic to enfeeble him as a lesson. Unfortunately, the magic of the spell is far more powerful than she had intended, and she reduces him to a permanent state of idiocy. This inappropriate abuse of power causes a rift between her and those she has hired to protect her on the road, and she retreats to examine the repercussions of this misfired magic, using the excuse that she would seek out a dwarf whom Imery has detected following the trio.

  While separated from her companions though, Brea is caught unawares by not only Bracken, but Nathaniel, as well. Brea is at first exuberant to see Nathaniel, since she is still inexplicably drawn to the man, but when he rebukes her affection, a confrontation begins.

  Brea is startled to learn of Mariabelle's murder and Geoffrey's abduction, and is even more horrified to learn that the blame has been cast upon Imery and herself. And yet, her own Goddess' odd behavior coupled with the strange misfire of clerical magic gifted to her by Imery further seeds doubt in Brea's mind as to whether Imery may indeed be manipulating everyone, including Brea herself.

  Before this conflict can be resolved, Avery himself appears, having been drawn to the conflict by the mysterious warnings of his scribe, Hamil. Revealing himself to Nathaniel, Brea and Bracken, he is horrified to learn that the tall man actually holds a sword nearly identical to his own, but even moreso by the sudden impulse to destroy the other sword. Overcome by One, Avery attacks mercilessly, believing Nathaniel to be the mythical Godslayer come to destroy him.