Sahshir's hand went to his sword at once. However, he found it was not at his side. The pain was also gone, and he looked at his hand to see it whole and unmarred. Around him was a snowy field. Elranor moved forward, but Sahshir turned his back on him.

"We have nothing to speak of, Elranor," said Sahshir. "The Heaven's Eye is Baltoth's."

"One more thing taken which he has no right to, then?" asked Elranor.

"Baltoth is Eternal," said Sahshir.

"And yet there are prophecies of his end?" noted Elranor. "Prophecies, he fears even now."

"That will not happen," said Sahshir, walking through the snow. "Baltoth accounts for all and fears nothing."

"Why do you serve him?" asked Elranor.

Sahshir halted and glanced back to the god. "It is my duty."

"Is it?" asked Elranor. "We're not your ancestor's servants of Safara? And their ancestor's servants of Garacel? And did not many serve Rammas for a time? Baltoth is a comparatively new deity."

"Baltoth brought order from chaos," replied Sahshir.

"And yet Valranor predates him, does he not?" asked Elranor. "Was he not the Lord of Order before?"

"Valranor was an imposter," said Sahshir simply. "He set himself in a place undeserved."

"Really?" asked Elranor. "Did not Baltoth begin as Lord of Pride? Why should the greatest of all gods willingly cede his chosen domain to an enemy?"

"For a time," replied Sahshir. "However, that title has passed to Adrianeth."

"What is he then?" asked Elranor. "Lord of Pride? Or Lord of Order?

"Or perhaps the agent of Typhos.

"Did he not wield the Blade of Chaos long ago?"

"Baltoth is," replied Sahshir simply.

"Or he is not," noted Elranor. "How can you know he is the supreme god you claim him to be? Do you truly believe him to be eternal? Or are you just using that as an excuse to seek your own ideology?"

"Your words mean nothing to me," said Sahshir with a shrug. "You are a liar, and you have no truth."

"You believe that virtue and justice must be sought, regardless of results, do you not?" asked Elranor.

"Of course," said Sahshir.

"A fine answer," mused Elranor. "I wonder if you truly believe it."

Then the view changed, and Sahshir saw three people. A man and woman clad in white, and a longhaired, dark-skinned boy. "This man was a tax collector in Calisha. He loved his family and sought to do his best in every situation. He gave extra money to help the poor and believed in Baltoth without his heart.

"Unfortunately, he was also skimming a small amount of money off the top.

"His son, who believed in Baltoth, reported him." The view changed to a ground of execution, where dozens of people screamed. Nailed to crosses, they were raised up in the sight of the people, their legs being broken. "And so the man was crucified alongside many others. To repay the debt, Baltoth sold his wife and child into slavery. The mother expired on the journey, leaving the son alone." The vision showed the boy standing over his dead mother before being dragged away.

"He was purchased, sent to the sugar plantations of Sorn, and worked to death over a miserable few weeks." Visions went before Sahshir as he watched the boy, starving and burned, waste away in a ditch.

"Was this justice?"

"Who is it whose fleets sail the seas and take slaves, Elranor?" asked Sahshir.

"All nations have their atrocities, but that does not answer the question," said Elranor. "Was this justice?"

"Baltoth set an example of him to prevent corruption," replied Sahshir.

"And so he and his family must suffer a grisly fate disproportionate to their crimes," noted Elranor. "All so that others will live in terror, and still more distant people need not fear corruption.

"Is that justice?"

"The guilty shall often accuse to distract from their inequities," noted Sahshir.

"But is it justice?" asked Elranor.

Sahshir looked at the visions of the boy for a long time before sighing. "...No."

"But if Baltoth is the supreme being you claim him to be, then he cannot be wrong, can he?" asked Elranor. "To possess a flaw is to be imperfect? And to be imperfect is to be limited and therefore not supreme.

"What does it say that he should be the Dark Lord of Harlenor, just as I am the Dark Lord of Calisha? Should not his very nature overawe all who hear his name?"

"You speak in riddles to conceal your true purpose," said Sahshir. "Why don't you speak plainly, as a man does? What is it you want in this?"

"I wonder if you would allow me to heal you," said Elranor.

"What?" said Sahshir, taken aback.

"I am the God of Healing," said Elranor. "It is well within my power to undo what Laevian has done to you. Certainly, it is not just for you to suffer for the sins of your father."

"It is written: 'Beware gifts given freely, for they always have a price.' What is the price?" asked Sahshir. "Shall I lay my sword at your feet and pledge loyalty?"

"None at all," said Elranor. "I shall heal you fully and expect nothing in return. I do this simply as an act of goodwill."

"Goodwill offered even as I take from you your greatest artifact?" asked Sahshir. There was something more to this. Had Tuor known Elranor would make this offer?

"The Heaven's Eye will avail Baltoth nothing. And you may say as much to him," said Elranor. "He cannot use it, for it is tied to my will and will alone. Only those of my blood can carry it. And I do not think he will trust either of you.

"Rather, he will wish it locked away, where none can use it."

"His purposes for the gem are of no concern," replied Sahshir. "It is enough for me to know that he desires it, so I shall oblige."

"Are you certain Baltoth desires it?" asked Elranor. "Not Suloth? Not Neseriah? Not Tuor-"

"He is the Disciple of Baltoth!" snarled Sahshir. "His loyalty is without question."

"Are you sure it is his loyalty beyond question?" asked Elranor. "Are you certain Baltoth's children might not scheme against him? How do you know that by staying true to Baltoth, you will not commit to killing his sons and daughters? Perhaps facing all of Calisha."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Baltoth is Calisha," replied Sahshir. Yet he found his will could have been stronger.

"Is he?" asked Elranor. "I hadn't noticed.

"No tyrant may rule by fear forever. No matter how well-made the chains he builds, they shall rust and break. And always his slaves shall seek a way out."

"You speak of what you don't understand," said Sahshir. "That we belong to ourselves is the worst lie ever told by one mortal to another. Each one of us belongs to something greater than ourselves. We become ourselves fully by becoming one with that greater entity. And to defy it is to become less with every breath of rebellion."

"And what if you are rebelling?" asked Elranor. "What if Baltoth ordered the utter destruction of Kalthak tomorrow? What if he ordered you to put your friends and family to the sword in his name? Would you do so?"

"Of course," said Sahshir without a second's hesitation.

Elranor seemed taken aback. "...That is not an answer I would expect from one so intelligent."

"The Baltoth I serve is wise and powerful," replied Sahshir. "He would not command such a sacrifice unless it served a purpose. If he came before me and commanded I do such a thing, he would explain why. If he did not, he would not be Baltoth, and if his explanation was for his amusement, the same applies. He would merely be an imposter wearing his skin."

"And how do you know that the Baltoth in Ruscow is not such an imposter?" asked Elranor.

"Do you have an alternative?" asked Sahshir. "Or are you merely spreading doubt in an enemy to weaken them?

"I shall not be led astray by simple doubt.

"To submit to you would be to yield my realm to the tender mercies of those like Argath Marn and Tanith Telus. Calisha has already seen the honor of Harlenor. They are bold and uncompromising when plundering those who cannot defend themselves. But they seek a truce in the face of real battle."

"Then your vendetta is East against West?" mused Elranor.

"Of course not," said Sahshir. "However, no word spoken by you or any Harlenorian can be trusted fully. To throw down Baltoth would be to yield the world to you. And that shall never happen while I draw breath."

Elranor shifted, and there seemed to be doubt within him. "...You are a good man, Sahshir.

"Will you allow me to heal you?"

For a moment, Sahshir considered accepting. But, if it were Baltoth's will that he be healed, it would not be by the hand of his enemy.

"I want nothing from you, Elranor," said Sahshir simply. "The Heaven's Eye is Baltoth's."

Then his eyes opened.

His metal hand was still broken, but Orson was gone. Pulling himself up, he held the Heaven's Eye in his hand. It sent soothing energy through him, offering a quick and easy solution to his pains. But Sahshir would not be deceived; he would ask Baltoth to heal him when he gave him the stone.

Pain was nothing, and neither was the flesh.

"Sahshir, are you alright?" asked Isamu.

Sahshir rose and picked up the Sword of Order quickly. "Yes. I have claimed it. Where is Orson?"

"As soon as you grabbed the gem, he disappeared," said Isamu, whose wounds were healing. "That guy was the best fighter I've ever run into. I wish we'd brought the others."

Tuor said nothing, but there was something strange about his manner. "Good, let us leave now."

"So um, is this fortress going to start collapsing now or..." began Isamu.

"Don't be foolish, Isamu," said Tuor. "Only an idiot builds a fortress that can't be held up without the need for magic."

"So we just walk out?" asked Isamu.

"No need for that," said Tuor. "Sahshir, give me the eye. I will move us from this place."

Sahshir hesitated a moment and finally offered the gem to Tuor. Yet, as Tuor took it in hand, he did not let go. There was a flash, and they were back at the camp, where Nagos was speaking to Urus and Cadas about some story.

"You're back, how are-" began Oresa.

"We have to go now," said Sahshir. "Pack everything, and let's get out."

There was no sign of pursuit yet, but Sahshir was not content to bet their mission on that remaining the case.

The journey that followed was silent, annoying, and disturbingly quiet.

They moved, and Sahshir glanced back to see who was following them. Tuor led them at an erratic pace, sometimes doubling back to evade notice. No one felt like speaking.

The trees seemed to hold threats with them.

"Who are these, anyway?" asked Isamu. "And how did you get their allegiance."

"A merchant from Seathorius, of course," said Tuor. "Savior's Run has recently become open for merchants to go to and fro.

"Among them are my agents.

"Duke Vanion Gabriel can be thanked for that."

"Gabriel again," mused Sahshir.

"House Gabriel's efforts seem to have conspired to ensure our success, have they not?" asked Urus. "Is he one of us?"

"Don't be absurd," said Tuor. "Vanion smashed two attempts on our part to seize Artarq. He is an enemy. Merely one with an understanding of the benefits of trade and open borders."

"And what of the wolves within the Wolven Forest?" asked Sahshir.

"They serve Baltoth, of course," said Isamu. "Telix is their sire, and he is a son of Baltoth. None may defy him."

"Right, because as we all know, sons are bound to the will of their fathers," said Isamu. "And no son of Baltoth has ever betrayed him." The sarcasm could be cut with a knife.

"I take your point," mused Tuor as they neared. "These arrangements were set up before Telix was nominally allied with Gel Carn. So, we shall simply have to take our chances."

Sahshir suddenly halted and glanced back. His hair stood on end, and he sensed men moving through the forests.

"What is it?" asked Urus.

"...Men are coming through the forest after us," said Sahshir, seeing them. "The woodsmen are after us. Wolves are coming as well."

"Quickly, up into the trees," said Sahshir.

Quickly, they scrambled up, doing their best to wipe away their tracks with a branch. Scaling up the tree, Sahshir drew the Sword of Order and focused through it. Closing his eyes, he focused his will on hiding them from their enemies. Below them, he saw the woodsmen emerge.

They went clad for war, with swords as well as bows. As they came, they were stopped by many wolves. At their head was a bearded man who seemed half-wolf. "You there, human, what is the meaning of this?"

"The Heaven's Eye has been stolen, Rustoff," said the man. "We've tracked those responsible here. Do you know of them?"

"We scented several unusual smells," mused Rustoff, glancing up. "There are sons of Baltoth among them."

"Are you sure?" asked the man.

"Quite," said Rustoff.

"Will you aid us or thwart us?" asked the man.

"Our honor binds us to Adrian and through him, you," said Rustoff. "My wolves are at your disposal."

"Then fan out and help us to find them," replied the man.

And so they spread out, with Rustoff glancing at the branches.

Quickly, they descended, though Sahshir suspected that Rustoff was actually on their side. He had likely noticed them and chosen not to mention as much.

"Come, let's go," said Tuor. "To the river, they'll surely discover us soon. We'll dispense with stealth."

And they ran.

They had not gone far as they ran across the woods before they heard the howl of a wolf. Together, they sprinted all the faster, led by Tuor. Suddenly, Oresa let out a cry and fell. Sahshir turned and ran back but saw Isamu kneeling to grab her.

"Come on!" said Sahshir. "Quickly!"

They ran out of the trees to the banks of Savior's Run. There, they saw a longboat crewed by dwarves. Sitting on a rock in front of them was a black-haired dwarf wearing a skull on his head. In one hand was a gnarled staff. "Master Tuor, my lord foresaw-"

"Get the ship moving, Devrox! Now!" snapped Tuor, halting by the gangplank. "All of you go first. Go, go, go."

Sahshir stopped and led the others to rush onto the ships, keeping his sword ready. Counting them as they went, he finally turned and ran onto the ship. Tuor followed behind him, and the gangplank was pulled up. Arrows came out of the trees to land in the woods.

Oars were put out as the ship was launched onto the river, moving against the current. Their progress was slow, but then Devrox raised his staff. The river around them seemed to let them pass somehow. They shot through the water. Sahshir sensed something in the air, something horrible.

A malignant presence seemed to snarl around them.

Which god did this Devrox serve?

Whoever it was, it was powerful indeed. The ship cut through the water rapidly, leaving waves behind it. It only slowed little by little.

"Tuor, who are these who have joined us?" said Sahshir after a moment.

"Hail and well met, King Sahshir," said Devrox. "I am Devrox, High Priest of the Dark Nakmar."

"Dark Nakmar?" asked Sahshir.

"A term given to us by outsiders," said Devrox. "We are those Nakmar who serve the demonic archons, Zigildrazia, Melchious, and Lucius.

"We are, in truth, merely Nakmar with different gods.

"However, for convenience, we are referred to as Dark Nakmar."

"You worship the Demonic Archons," said Isamu.

"Do not we all?" asked Devrox. "Among them is Baltoth, Baltoth. Denram, see if you can collect the arrows. We could make use of them."

A dwarvish boy near him nodded. "Yes, Uncle." And he began to pull the arrows out.

"Why have you come out here?" asked Urus.

"It is the will of the Dark Gods that the Heaven's Eye is transported safely to Calisha," said Devrox. "And so I shall ensure you get there safely."

"And how shall we arrive there?" said Sahshir. "Savior's Run passes directly through Antion. Andoa II shares the name 'the Bright' for a reason. We shall not pass unnoticed."

"On the contrary," said Tuor. "The city of Antion has many... less savory aspects. The underworld in that place will be ideal for our purposes."

"I thought the plan was to go out through Sorn," said Nagos.

"Plans change," said Tuor.

"Yeah, well, I don't want to change them without reason!" snapped Isamu. "I say we jump off this damn ship as soon as we're clear, head for Sorn, get back with Belosh, and get out! I've had it with this cloak-and-dagger idiocy."

"We'd have to head through the domain of House Korlac for that," noted Tuor. "They have destroyed virtually every smuggler and pirate group in that region. And they keep a keen watch on the roads."

"He's right, Isamu," conceded Sahshir. "Besides, Sorn may not be happy to see any of us. Sen Kaba may end up stealing the Eye for himself if he gets a chance. I trust none of those merchants."

"Isamu is right," said Urus. "Going through Antion is a bad idea."

"Why don't we vote?" asked Oresa.

"Vote?" asked Tuor.

"Why not," said Sahshir.

Alkela motioned quickly, and Sahshir nodded. "Alkela desires to go through Seathorius. She wishes to see the land for herself. I will also attend to some personal matters, though I have no idea what she is talking about." He'd talk to her about that later.

"I, um, I want to see this Seathorius place," admitted Oresa. "I've read many stories of Baltoth's adventures there, and I'd like to see what it's like."

"I need not say where I stand since this was my plan," said Tuor.

"Nagos, what about you?" asked Sahshir.

"Much as I like exploring, I'd like to meet up with Serna again," said Nagos. "I'm sure many things have come up I need to tend to, and, well...

"I'm not sure Baltoth will like the King of Chaminus showing up unannounced.

"Besides, I'll bet I could set up a false trail for anyone following us to go by. It could throw them off the scent."

"How will you do that by yourself?" asked Isamu.

"I won't be doing it myself; I'll be doing it with the help of the friends we made along the way," said Nagos.

"Who would those be?" asked Sahshir.

"That was sarcasm, and I was talking about Garrick, Sen Kaba, and the Fish King," said Nagos.

"Sahshir, what say you?" asked Tuor.

Sahshir considered his answer carefully. "...Savior's Run will take us near House Gabriel's holdings, will it not?"

"Yes," said Tuor.

"Then I choose the river," said Sahshir. "I want to see for myself the works of this House. They seem to influence so many lands while ruling none of them." He looked to Nagos. "Are you sure you wish to go alone?"

"Of course," said Nagos.

"Then our course is set," said Tuor. "We need only achieve it now."

This mission became more dangerous at the moment. And yet, one could not see the danger. Only those it worked through.