“You’ve not eaten,” It was a statement, an observation, and not at all a question. I walked behind Morkai, amidst his host of warriors as they walked toward the sacrificial altar. It was early in the morning. The sun had just risen, its golden lights rising behind the great mountains in the distance. The wind was cold and howling, but the waters that surrounded Blood Hall were calm and tranquil. It was a good day to honor the gods. A great number of people had emerged from their mammoth-bone huts and longhouses, likely to partake and bask in the glory of the gods. There were... many of them – far more than I’d seen yesterday, nearly thrice as much. And they were all warriors; everyone here carried a weapon of some sort, bearded axes hanging from their braided leather belts. “Why?”

My stomach grumbled painfully. The urge to eat and drink had not abated. My lips were cracked and dry, and every breath felt heavier than the last. “A challenge from the Whale; I must not partake in food or drink for five days.”

Morkai grunted. His burning eyes blazed as he turned to regard me with a gaze that I could not quite understand, given the fire and all. “Very well. I will ensure the thralls stop delivering food for the next five days.”

My stomach grumbled again as we walked towards the altar. It was then that I noticed that the sacrifices were already there, chained upon the pillars of the gods – two were bound to the Wolf’s Pillar, while a single one was assigned to the others. Warriors often favored the Wolf in their worship, but to fail to honor the other Gods was to invite their wrath. And so a token sacrifice was necessary. There would’ve been far more if the captives had not escaped yesterday. Alas, this was a meager sacrifice; even I knew that much. But, there was nothing to be done for it. The Gods would delight in their souls either way.

We stopped at the foot of the massive altar and Morkai gestured for me to stay still as he walked up the steps and onto the platform of grey stone, tinged with old splatters of blood and gore, and decorated with the bones of previous sacrifices. The crowd, despite its size, was deathly quiet. There wasn’t a single human sound that echoed across Blood Hall, only the howl of the winds and the hiss of the leaves of the tall pine trees. Morkai walked to the center of the altar and stood by the large stone platform, where I figured the actual offerings would be placed for the Gods to consume. His scaled cape swayed and fluttered behind him. The beast whose hide it was cut from seemed to come alive for a moment – a dragon curled over Morkai’s shoulders. His armor glimmered like smoldering steel in the faint darkness. He stood there and seemed like a giant among men.

It was surreal.

Was this what it was like to hold power?

Morkai was not... like me. But he’d carved his way to power, regardless. I wondered, then, just how much blood he’d spilt and how many sacrifices he’d offered to the Gods. The Wolf must’ve looked upon him with great pride. Something swelled within me. And, for a moment, I forgot about my hunger and thirst. The people of Blood Hall hummed, all of them, at once; it was a deep, thrumming sound that reverberated across the city. I hummed with them. Though I’d never heard it before; somewhere, at the very bowels of my soul, I knew the tune and I felt becoming one with the whole.

“I, Morkai, Crimson Lord of Blood Hall, hereby offer these souls to the Dark Gods,” Morkai announced. His voice echoed powerfully. And I could feel the presence of the Gods around us, in the sky, in the trees, on the ground, and upon the waters. They were happy. I felt their happiness. The five who were to be sacrificed looked forward to their deaths. Their eyes were resolute, willful, and eager. There were many, I mused, that would’ve gladly taken their place upon the altar if the Gods willed it so. “To the Wolf, we dedicate the brave; to the Whale, we dedicate the strong; to the Eagle, we dedicate the wise; and to the Serpent, we dedicate the deft. May their blood, their bones, their flesh, and their innards sate the Gods of the Norskiri!”

Our humming grew louder. And then, the world itself seemed to shift and writhe as the Gods turned the weight of their gaze upon Blood Hall. The ground shook. And from the furrows upon the soil came vibrant and baleful iridescent lights. The very air itself seemed to scream in agony. When I looked up I saw, however briefly, the visages of the Great Four, peering from the realm beyond realms, from where magic and imagination clashed and merged and separated again and again and again, the realm of Primordial Entropy, where thoughts and dreams were real and all the natural laws, the rules of men and god alike, simply did not exist. That realm, during times of sacrifice and worship, inched closer to ours. And it was in such times that even the unblessed would feel the presence of the Gods and the weight of their power.

Thunder and lightning rumbled in a cloudless and baleful morning sky. The Gods turned their gaze towards us and the first of the sacrifices was brought forth. From the Pillar of the Whale was a familiar man, who seemed at peace with what was happening; he seemed happy, even. I recognized him as a woodsman who, at times, would walk by my lonely little hut in the forest. Our eyes met briefly. I could tell he recognized me somewhat. And he offered me a curt nod, before he walked to the altar, proudly. He seemed puny as he stood next to Morkai. “My life belongs to the Gods! I offer it to them freely. Please, allow me to offer it to them myself.”

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Morkai nodded and produced a rune-etched dagger from his sheath, before offering it to the woodsman, who took it with a quick bow. He then raised the weapon high into the air and roared, before plunging it right into his heart. The woodsman fell to his knees and smeared his blood upon the stone platform. A faint rush of color rushed out of his form the exact moment he died. It might’ve been his soul, but I wasn’t sure. The world rumbled. I smiled. The Gods were pleased with his zeal. I knew not the man’s name, but I knew he wound find warmth and comfort in the Whale’s loving embrace.

Morkai then carefully took and placed the man’s body upon the stone platform. He then separated the head from the body and pulled the skin from the skull. He flayed open the chest and pulled out the man’s organs, one by one. He took the heart first and placed it beside the bleeding skull. Next, he took the liver and did the same to it. He did the same to all the other organs, until at last Morkai pulled the woodsman’s guts and raised it to the heavens. “MAY THE GODS ENJOY THIS BOUNTY!”

The world shuddered and I felt the very presence of the Gods as they reached out and accepted the woodsman’s soul into their loving embrace. Truly, his death was good. I knew for a fact that the Whale was glad to have him in its domain, another soul. If the woodsman proved his worth in the realm of the Dark Gods, the Whale may even turn him into a Daemon, the ultimate gift to those who were already dead.

The other sacrifices were cut from their binds and I felt pride swell in my chest as they all did the same as the woodsmen. I didn’t know who they were. And only one other was familiar to me. Yet, I felt pride all the same. They all died proudly and willingly offered their souls to the Gods. My neighbors were a fearless bunch. The Gods were happy for them and accepted them into their embrace. And everyone celebrated their bravery, not just the gods. The people of Blood Hall cheered and roared. And I cheered and roared with them. I looked towards the altar and felt my chest swell. Perhaps, when my time finally came, the gods would accept me as well. I hoped to prove myself worthy of them in the meantime.

And so I uttered a brief prayer for guidance in undertaking their challenges.

When the sacrifice was over, the Gods made their presence known one last time by making the sky rumble with thunder and lightning. After that, however, they retreated from the mortal world, the Realm of Primordial Entropy retreating with them. The sky’s color returned and the winds stopped howling in pain and agony. The waters stopped thrashing angrily. And all was well.

“Though they were few, it was a good sacrifice; the Gods are happy. All their souls were accepted.” I said, speaking to no one in particular. To be rejected by the Dark Gods was the height of damnation. The impotent soul would wander the wilds of Norskir forever, bound to the earth and the trees and water, never to taste the nectar of Daemonhood – a hellish fate that I would not wish on my worst enemy.

Someone beside me seemed to agree with my opinion as I heard a hum of agreement. A man spoke up. Despite the cheers around us, his voice was clear and crisp. “Indeed, the Gods were pleased by the sacrifice, even if there were only a few. Today is a glorious day.”

I agreed with him.

“Tell me, child, did you feel the presence of the Dark Gods?” The man suddenly asked. “Did you feel the weight of their infernal realm?”

I turned to him and saw a man in a feathered cloak that covered most of his body. What little skin he did show was covered in glowing runes. He carried a tall wooden staff with the head of a large bird atop it, its sockets studded with large chunks of amber. He was a Follower of the Eagle, a Mage, a wielder of magic. His eyes cackled with ghastly blue lights. I nodded. “I felt their presence, yes.”

“Hmph, the fools here are not touched by the Dark Gods as we are,” He said. “They do not feel the joy or the even the presence of the Gods. To them, it was just another sacrifice; they do not see the thinning of the realms. But you and I – we do.”

“Are you Blessed, like me?” I asked him.

The man shook his head. “No, but Mages are sensitive to the presence of the Gods; it is a rare honor to feel them as we do.”

Huh, and here I thought everyone could just feel the Gods, but I was wrong.

“Stay alive, child,” He finally said, after a moment. “and grow; I wish to see just how far you’ll go and how high you’ll reach, before the Gods take you.”

He disappeared in a cloud of black feathers.

Fascinating. Could I learn magic, as well? It would certainly be an invaluable tool. But I left that to the Eagle; if I proved worthy of such a gift, then surely I would be granted it. If not, then I would continue onward until I was.

Moments later, Morkai walked down the altar’s steps, his draconic cape billowing behind him, like a piece of cloth caught in the breeze.

How was it even doing that? It wasn’t particularly windy anymore.

“You will come with me, girl,” He said, his burning eyes fixed upon me. I looked up and kept my chin high. Morkai snorted in amusement. “Food or no, your training will begin.”