Curse: The Dark God Book 2 by John D. Brown Page A

celebration. Such wreaths hung above doors in villages all throughout the New Lands. He thought it ironic: they had indeed celebrated a harvest, but not the one they supposed.
    After Black Knee was doctored, Shim and Argoth called to him. He led the priest over on his horse.
    “He’s dead,” Shim said.
    “He fought me, Zu. He was quite out of his mind. I’ve got a tidy hole in my gut to prove it. But if I recall, you didn’t specify that I bring him to you alive.”
    “What would I want with a dead body?”
    “If I could have taken him alive, I would. But you saw him. People are talking. Someone like this was going make them uneasy.”
    Shim considered him.
    “I don’t mean to offend,” said Berosus. “But I came here because of a call. I’m sorry that he’s dead. But I know these types. They can’t be relied on.”
    Argoth looked over at Shim.
    “You’re wasting your time with that one,” Eresh said, his one good eye burning. “The Hand offers nothing but a knife in the back.”
    “Fools will often blame others for their own misfortunes,” said Berosus. “I’ve found that to be especially true among the Kish.”
    Eresh bristled. “It wasn’t foolishness that slaughtered a company of men at Amon ford. It was an ally that sat and watched other men burn.”
    “You’ve muddled the facts,” said Berosus. “But that does happen with age.”
    Eresh narrowed his eyes and moved his hand to his sword, but Shim held his hand up. “Hold, commander. We don’t need any blood today.”
    “I told you one of your own would vouch for me,” said Berosus.
    * * *
    Argoth watched Eresh release his sword, then draw an apple from his coat pocket. He expected the Kish to give it a furious bite, but, quick as a snake, Eresh hurled the apple at Flax’s face instead.
    Flax flinched but wasn’t fast enough. The apple smacked into his forehead and sailed into the wall of the fortress. Eresh followed the apple. There was a flash of steel and before anyone could move, Eresh held the point of his sword at Flax’s throat. “It appears I am not too old to take you, maggot.”
    Flax grasped the hilt of his knife, the only weapon a stranger would have been allowed to carry inside the fortress. Eresh did not have the best position on the blond even though he held a sword. If Flax turned just so, he could stick his knife into Eresh’s belly.
    But Eresh wasn’t someone to make such a mistake. It was sloppy, and Argoth realized Eresh was tempting Flax to pull his knife, to give him a reason.
    “No!” Argoth said and stepped forward, pushing them apart.
    Shim turned on Eresh, his face cold with anger. “We have within our grasp the opportunity, not of a lifetime, but of an age. It is not the time for squabbles.”
    “The Hand needs to pay its debt of blood.”
    Flax had not yet released the hilt of his knife.
    Argoth said, “Listen, you two, if we are to fight our true enemy, we must put aside such issues—the blood between Eresh and the Hand is nothing compared to that between you and those that devour our souls. Would you stop to chase a horsefly when a ravening lion was at your heels?”
    Eresh licked his chapped lips, then stepped away and sheathed his sword. “The next time I draw my sword on this walking goat turd, I will kill him.”
    Flax shook his head ruefully and released his hold upon his knife. He put his hand up to placate Eresh. “Argoth speaks wisdom. Let us deal with our common enemy first. After that, you and I can settle our differences.”
    “That might be far too late,” said Eresh.
    “Commander,” Shim warned, his face iron. Then he turned to Flax. “You will come and state your purpose. And if you’re too beetle-brained to keep your smug arrogance to yourself, then I will loose Eresh. And may the Six have mercy upon you.”
    Flax inclined his head, and Shim turned to walk to his chambers. As he did, Flax gave Eresh a level stare, and Eresh gave it right back, his milked eye looking like a