Dedicated to all those that dared to love a Goddess

  Prologue

  A dark horde of angry men surged up the lapis Steps of the Sky. They cast bolts of lightning, jets of fire, and rays of magic that pushed the gods back. The gods, weakened by lack of faith and the loss of followers, withdrew behind the great, black Doorway of the Heavens, bracing it closed. The enraged and contemptuous army stormed the Steps demanding the gods release control of their world.

  They blamed the gods for the misfortunes in their lives. They blamed the gods for keeping power from them. They blamed the gods for the ruined and charred landscape around them. And most of all, they blamed the gods for Festor, an abominable god of death and decay that arose from the madness and destruction that consumed the world.

  Festor lashed at the hind ranks of the army as they ascended up to the heavens. But Festor didn’t want to hurt the angry men, he wanted to help and sooth them. But every time he touched one of the soldiers they withered and died. His rotted hands drew their bodies into his fetid mass, their souls into his seething power, and their screams of rage and terror into his ever more fragmented mind.

  The mad god was dismayed by the crumbling people before him. He didn’t understand why they ran from him. He only wished to gain power to rebuild the world. He could make it how it was before all the wars and fighting and destruction; how it was before the people turned angry and arrogant. They could all be at peace if only they gave him their love and power.

  As the crazed god pursued the army they fought back at him with powerful magic and wards that blinded and stung Festor, but could not stop him. The god’s amassed strength and madness made him indomitable. Only when the last of the army made it on to the blue Steps of the Sky did Festor stop his pursuit. He remained on the ground trying to rebuild the world despite everything he touched turning to rot.

  At the top of the steps, the leader, and mightiest mortal warrior Hubris, raised his great mace and smashed against the Doorway of the Heavens. It was a tremendous blow that rattled the polished obsidian entrance and shook the world. He struck again and the Doorway fractured. A third blow and the door crumbled.

  The horde pushed through the entranceway to stand at the beginning of the dark Hallway of Eternity, a sacred passage that was impassable to mortals. At the other end of the hallway, the gods took refuge in the Grand Council Chamber of the Heavens. Hubris’ brother, the great mage Avarice stepped forward and folded the space between the door and the far chamber. With a single step, the two brothers and their grim mob surged in to the Grand Chamber.

  Coronus the sun stood on the far side of the chamber with the rest of the gods. Between them was the broad and round Table of the World, black and smoldering from fires and strife, and Festor. Around the Table were the crumbled remains of the different thrones of the gods; their seats of power fallen along with the ranks of their faithful. Surrounding all those gathered in the chamber, was the black star speckled Tapestry of the Night.

  Coronus glared at the invaders with all the spite he could muster. “This is no place for mortals. Would you end the world for your hatred of us!?”

  Fearless, Hubris stepped around the table, his heavy metallic armour clanging throughout the chamber. “It is you that have brought ruin upon the world. With your meddling and your control you have brought nations to fight against nations and brothers to fight against brothers. You will leave the heavens and give the world to us.”

  Hydar, the God of Rain, spoke defiantly to the galling warrior. “Without gods there is no world to give.”

  Hubris’ smile could not be seen through his full helmet, but the smugness of his voice was unmistakable. “So you say.”

  He hefted his mace and battered lesser gods out his way as he stomped forward. Hydar raised his hand to strike with lightning but Avarice cast a spell that encased the rain god’s arms in chains, shackling him to the ground. Aridus, the desert, pushed back Hubris with a wave of sand while Vortess, the wind, blasted him with a violent storm. Avarice intervened with his magic and parted the sand away for his brother while Hubris simply strode through Vortess’ gale with his immense strength.

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  Coronus glared at the defiant intruders and let loose the power of the sun through his eyes. The rays of heat and light engulfed Hubris and turned his armour red. He let out a growl and struck his powerful mace against the sun god’s face. With a groan of agony Coronus fell against the Table of the World clutching his eye. Hubris raised his mace again to strike a final blow. He brought the god crushing weapon down when something caught his arm. He looked to see a black and withered hand clasping his wrist.

  Reaching out from the World Table the seething black mass of Festor arose. A sick smile crossed his putrid face and his eyes gleamed with hunger. He spoke in a staggered, disjointed voice. “It, must… be, mine. I need the... power; to save, the, world.”

  Hubris’ armour crumbled at the touch of the decaying god, exposing his skin. When Festor grasped hold of the bare flesh, the world’s mightiest warrior dissolved into the mad god with only a final bellow of rage.

  Avarice shouted in horror at his fallen brother and cast a smoldering green bolt that evaporated a portion of the god’s back. Festor shrugged off the gruesome blow with only a wince and looked to Avarice with hungry eyes. “More power. I… must, have it.”

  He stretched out a wizened hand to grab the mage. Avarice cast a shield to block him, but Festor’s unstoppable fingers and lust for power pierced through the shield and wrapped around the great wizard’s face. The man’s body dissolved and his power poured into Festor’s wretched form.

  The Grand Chamber grew quiet as Festor panted with exhilaration. He looked about to see the only mortals remaining to be consumed was the invading army. At the fall of their leaders, the soldiers turned and fled to the portal over the Hallway of Eternity. But with Avarice dead the portal collapsed, taking their escape with it. Festor wrapped his arms around the army and those he didn’t absorb decayed to rotting flesh as he squeezed them to his black rancid body.

  When the echoes of the shrieks of dying men faded from the room, Festor looked about at the gods that remained. “I… have… them. I… have, all… their power.” He twitched and shook his head. He was speaking with the voice of Avarice. “I… have,, the, power to save them.” Now he spoke with Hubris’ voice. He looked at the gods bewildered. “I, can… save the, world.” His voice came out as a high priest he previously consumed.

  “My, children… are in me.” His words interrupted in midsentence with a new voice. “My children, are in, my head.” Other voices cut in and out of his words. He clutched his hair and banged his head. “I can’t get them out. They are in me. They are me.”

  Festor began to screech and dart about the room, each word he spoke in a different voice. “I destroyed my children.” He started to cry and wail in a multitude of voices. “I destroyed my world.” He looked wild eyed at the gods, then at the charred ruins of the world. “I can save them.” He jumped onto the Table of the World and descended to earth. “My power can save my children!”

  In dazed silence the gods watched him disappear down to the world below. A few gods went to Hydar to free him from his shackles while Silhlotte, the God of Shadows, emerged from the blackness to help Coronus up. He spoke with a voice as smooth as a whisper in the night. “In the end Festor’s madness saved us, but it will take ages to restore the world.”

  Coronus looked over the destroyed remains of the Table of the World. One of his eyes still gleamed as the sun, while the other eye was dark and bloodied. He slowly shook his aching head. “No, we will not restore the world. We will transform it so mankind will never achieve the power to take the heavens again.”

  Arise

  Arise to the dawn and the morning sun

  Arise to the new and what shall become

  Arise to the breeze and clouds above

  Arise to the hope to find your love

  Arise to the birds and animals that play

  Arise to the will to be like them one day

  Arise to the waters and cool streams

  Arise to the regrets that need washed clean

  Arise to the trees and their unspoken songs

  Arise to the courage to correct the wrongs

  Arise to the friends and the support they give

  Arise to the heart for which they live

  Arise to the cold and those that turn away

  Arise to the ones that will always stay

  Arise to the fires that raze the ground

  Arise to the faith that beauty will still be found

  Arise to the dusk and fading light

  Arise to the dream that you can make it right

  Arise to the strength to complete your day

  Before all you have risen for is taken away