Taken: The Life of Uktesh Book 3 (29 page)

If you liked Taken and can’t wait for Tower to come out here’s an excerpt. 

Prologue

Several of the onlookers took up a weapon, some two, as a dark globe of shadow dimmed the light in the brightly lit festival hall, as it appeared without warning.  The peaceful hall stilled as the globe solidified into the form of a man, much like the two beings of light at the end of the hall.  Except for one difference.  This man trailed smoky darkness was he walked towards the seated figures.  The two beings seated on their thrones emanated a warm light that seemed to strain against the singular darkness as the being approached.

At a gesture from one of the men of light the warriors around the hall relaxed their muscles, though, none returned their weapons.  The being of light on the left said, “Welcome brother.  It has been nearly five generations since you last graced us with your presence.”

The man said, “You’ve both chosen to be men this day, unless you haven’t.  Tell me Uketar, is it confusing for your worshipers when one of their deities can’t even decide on a gender, unless they can.”

The man on the left smiled, shifted into the form of a beautiful woman, and said, “I do not believe that their faith is based on my gender, because I prefer it when I have no corporeal form at all.”

Belesh sighed and said, “Brother, you’re always so quick to cut with your words.  Perhaps that is why it has been so long between visits.  Clearly you’ve not come this day to be pleasant, state your business and be gone Osiris.”

Osiris stated, “I saw your son, Uktesh, today.  He is quite impressive, unless he isn’t.”

Uketar said, “Thank you.  We are all aware that he is going to do great things.”

Osiris smiled a smile that held no mirth and said, “Yes, yes great things, unless he won’t survive to do them.”

Belesh stood, which caused the hundreds of men and women in the hall to do the same and clutch their weapons tighter.  Belesh said, “Are you threatening our son?”

Osiris said, “No, no, of course not, unless I am of course.”

Uketar said, “Be clear for once in your life!  Are you threatening our son?”

Osiris grinned and said, “I’m not a threat to your son, except I am.  I don’t wish him harm, except I will.  I’ve come to inform that I have a child as well, except I don’t.  More a piece of myself, than a son, he is.  A wager I’ll make, my scion against your son?”

Uketar stood as well and said, “We’re not going to gamble on the life of our son.”

Belesh, however, asked, “What do you wish to wager?”

Uketar looked sharply at Belesh, but said nothing.  Osiris said, “Good, a bet between Belesh and I then, because I simply want what you have, or whom you have.”

Belesh frowned and said, “Uketar is free to be with whomever she wishes.  I cannot force her to be with you just as I cannot force you to leave and never return.”

Osiris said, “I don’t want her, except I do.  What I’m gambling is for the soul of your son.  Should Uktesh die, he must go to stay with me, in my realm.  If your son kills my scion, you may have that piece of my essence.”

Belesh said, “Deal.”

Uketar looked to Belesh in shock and said, “You can’t be serious!”

Belesh looked at her, then turned to Osiris, and said, “I believe our dealings are concluded?”

Osiris nodded and said, “They are, except they aren’t.” 

He vanished from their hall and Uketar rounded on Belesh, who held up his hand to forestall her and said, “They will fight either way, that’s inevitable now.”

Uketar said, “That doesn’t mean that we surrender him to Osiris!”

Belesh said, “If they fight again, Osiris will make sure that it’s in a place of his choosing like his arena.  A place like that place, one where if Uktesh should die Osiris would claim his soul as his own.  This way, if Uktesh wins, we’ll get a piece of Osiris’s soul and weaken him forever.”

Uketar said, “It still seems like a foolish risk.  You know we could get him back from Osiris if he fell in a place bound to Osiris.”

Belesh shrugged and said, “What’s the worst that could happen?  We lose his soul?  We can just make another.  If Osiris loses part of himself, he’ll forever be weakened.”

Uketar said, “That’s not the worst you fool.  If he gets Uktesh he gets a soul from two gods.”

Belesh shrugged again and said, “So?”

Uketar asked, “What would we do if he activated Uktesh’s godhood?”

Belesh paled and said, “And then chose to use a god of our own making against us!  We already know it’s possible for Osiris to corrupt him based on the end of that fight.”

Uketar said, “Exactly.  As much as I don’t want our son’s soul in that monster’s hands, I don’t want to see him transform into that,” she paused, “thing, again.”

Belesh said, “But that would be an act of war!  The gods haven’t warred in,” he paused thinking, “I can’t remember how many centuries it’s been.”

Uketar said, “Not since our own squabbling killed half our brothers and sisters and allowed the dark ones enough room to also fight against us.”

Belesh said, “There are so few of us left, there’s no way Osiris could convince half or even a fourth of them to turn against us.”

Uketar said, “I would normally agree, but if our enemies could guarantee that we’d be taken out in the first salvo of attacks?”

Belesh sighed, “It’d be almost too tempting to pass up.”

Uketar said, “Now we must hope that a mortal can save the gods.”

Belesh said, “We could activate his godhood on our own?”

Uketar said, “You would risk Osiris getting his hands on a fully activated god soul?  No, we must hope that Uktesh can survive this test on his own.  The odds to survive a fight against an emperor in the heart of his Empire seem low.  Should he fail we may still have time to prevent an all-out war between the gods.”

Belesh said, “Wait, we assume it’s the emperor, Osiris never said a name.”

Uketar scowled at Belesh, “So if Osiris has more than one scion in the world at this moment Uktesh will have to defeat both or all of them for us to win the bet.”

Belesh hung his head, “While the scion only has to kill Uktesh.  I am a fool.”

A new ball of white light entered their domain and resolved into Andaria.  Uketar said, “Sister it’s truly been too long since you’ve visited.  What brings the goddess of love here this day?”

Belesh muttered, “As if we don’t know.”

Andaria said, “You’ve made a foolish wager against my scions’ husband.  I feel that she’ll be drawn into this conflict, therefore it has become an issue for me.”

Uketar said, “Andaria, or would you feel more comfortable with Heathyr?”

Andaria said, “Heathyr is my mortal name, Andaria will do for the purposes of this conversation.”

Uketar said, “Andaria we have everything well in hand and there’s nothing-”

Andaria interrupted, “You don’t have everything in hand, you don’t even know the number of enemies you’ve unwittingly sent after your own son.

Belesh said, “True, we don’t have it all in hand at this moment, but the threat is not imminent.”

Uketar stood and said, “We need a volunteer to return to life for the sole purpose of protecting our son.  You will be given a body much like your own at your prime and all the knowledge you currently possess.”

Belesh asked, “What are you doing?  The bet-”

Uketar interrupted him, “Is between yourself and Osiris.  If Osiris can manipulate his odds so too can I.  Because I am not a part of your bet.”

Andaria said, “I can also help by beginning to unlock Laurilli’s potential.”

All the warriors in the room Walked to kneel in front of the two thrones.  Belesh said, “There can be no other choice than Edih, the sword master.”

Uketar said, “From this age perhaps, but I seek skills separate from the sword.”

Belesh said, “With Edih, Uktesh could perfect the god form, and not fail it like all the others.”

Uketar said, “Would that save him against any of the gods?”

Belesh said, “No, but nothing he could do, would.”

Uketar smiled and said, “There is one thing, and I think Kelsia is the one to show him the way.”

Belesh and Andaria both whispered, “The witch?”

All eyes turned to the woman who leaned against one of the marble columns.  Uketar asked, “I would send Kelsia if she’s willing.”

The woman glided forward, her feet did not touch the marble floor.  She said, “Nothing would please me more my gods.  If I am to leave this place I must insist on one thing.  I’m sure you know what it is.”

All three god’s eyes rose to meet those of Aksel, the giant man that was Kelsia’s constant shadow.  The man was not a failed god form giant, merely ten feet tall.  He was a true giant, what those of this age called a titan.  At twenty-seven feet tall he would be impossible to clothe, shelter, and possibly feed in this new age.  Uketar said, “I cannot have him go back as he was, but I think even in a diminished body we can give him his full strength.”

Belesh laughed, “Hell, that’d be a shock, just have him kill the emperor.”

Uketar turned to Kelsia and said, “Neither of you are allowed to kill the emperor, he must die at Uktesh’s hand, but keep him safe until he’s able to survive the fight on his own.  Also do try to keep Aksel out of trouble, last time you two were alive his temper caused you to flee a town or city more than once just ahead of a mob.”

Kelsia said, “It will be done as you command.”

Uketar turned to Andaria and asked, “I assume they meet with your approval.”

Andaria said, “They’ll do splendidly.  Kelsia will be able to help my daughter more than any sword wielder would.”