And it would come. it would come that a man would walk the lands of Earth. A man without father or mother. Without childhood. A wanderer. A warrior. A fearsome killer of men. He would be birthed fully-formed. And the faces of the gods would be turned from him. Blind to him would they be, and they would see him not. Mighty their power, but it would touch him not. And he would stand against the gods. And he would seek to slay them. To break their power, and bring it shattering in fragments around their heads. Ride! Ride! A man without childhood. Without father or mother. Without even a name. And it would come. The Kiotha draw closer! BY Kindi s bones, how can they trail us so unerringly? They have magic-casters among them! Magic-casters! 3
Abandon steeds! We will lose ourselves in the hills! Perhaps it will be enough for them to steal our mounts and our hunt Hnh. That explains why they follow us even over rock and water You know better, Bioka. They are slavers. They have magic trackers. They will not give up until we are theirs. Or dead. I...I know. I just wish I could see Arupa again. See my child born These rocks are close, the pathways narrow. if we go deeper, they would have to come single file. At least you won a wife, Ator. I shall die without achieving even that Maybe we could fight them off-- Ho! There is a deeper cleft back here! it goes through to-- Kotar? Kotar!
Kotar, are you-- look! it is a place of the ancients! A place of the ancients! it is. it must be. These places are profane. The abode of evil. Of demons, Priest Oto says. Look at the walls... a great earth-shifting broke this chamber open. Perhaps it is open on the other side of the hills, as well. Get the others, barricade this entrance against the Kiotha. I will seek an exit! This could be our salvation! Demons... if it lets us escape Kiotha slavers, I will take my chances with demons. Bioka! Ator! Come! Come and see! 5
What is it? Build the barricade, Jonu! Swiftly! They were close behind us! Ator and I will see what Kotar-- By the Gods! Look at them! Were they kings? Monks? They must have been mighty men of power! Demons They are dead. Whatever they were, they-- look at this one! God of health, wisdom, and charity! To be entombed like this! Wait, wait What is he? A demon? Enchanted? Why would-- 6
Jonu! The Kiotha! They ve broken in! Fight on, brothers! We come! We must aid the others! By Makatha, god of defense! A-all I want is to live! To live, and see my child born! i-is that so m-much to-- Ator! Come, brother! We need your sword! I-I come! I am no coward! I just-- What?! What foul magic--?
Gods of the fourteen houses, save me! I am assailed! Save your humble-- Here are two more! kill them! 8
9 Stranger, look ou--
How how does he do it? He has killed eight, and does not even breathe hard! I would have sworn he had never seen a sword, from the way he looked at it. But now-- Demon 10
Uh-- I don t believe it. We re alive alive! Our thanks, stranger! But you shrugged off magic! How did you 11