Revelation.'
'And do you seek forgiveness?'
'No. I seek oblivion.'
*
Culain sat opposite the young warrior in the watery sunshine, pleased with the progress Cormac had made in the last eight weeks. The youth was stronger now, his long legs capable of running for mile upon mile over any terrain, his arms and shoulders showing corded muscle, taut and powerful.
He had outgrown the faded red tunic and now wore a buckskin shirt and woollen trews Culain had purchased from a travelling merchant passing through the Caledones towards Pinnata Castra in the east.
'We must talk, Cormac,' said the Lance Lord.
'Why? We have not yet practised with the sword.'
'There will be no sword-play today. After we have spoken, I shall be leaving.'
'I do not wish to talk,' said Cormac, rising.
'Know your enemy,' said Culain softly.
'What does that mean?'
'It means that from today you are on your own -and Anduine's life is in your care. It means that when Wotan finds you - as he will - only you and your skill will be between Anduine and the Blade of Sacrifice.'
'You are leaving us?'
'Yes.'
'Why?' asked the youth, returning to his seat on the fallen log.
'I do not answer to you for my life. But before we part, Cormac, I want you to understand the nature of the enemy, for in that you may find his weakness.'
'How can I fight a god?'
'By understanding what a god is. We are not talking about the Source of All Creation, we are talking about an immortal: a man who has discovered a means to live for ever. But he is a man nonetheless. Look at me, Cormac. I also was an immortal. I was born when the sun shone over Atlantis, when the world was ours, when Pendarric the King opened the Gates of the Universe. But the oceans drank Atlantis and the world was changed for ever. Here, on this Island of Mist, you see the last remnants of Pendarric's power, for this was the northern outpost of the empire. The standing stones were gateways to journeys within and beyond the realm. We gave birth to all the gods and demons of the world. Werebeasts, dragons, blood-drinkers - all were set free by Pendarric.'
Culain sighed and rubbed at his eyes. 'I know there is too much to burden you with here. But you need to understand at least a part of a history that men no longer recall, save as legend.
Pendarric discovered other worlds, and in opening the gates to those worlds he loosed beings very different from men. Atlantis was destroyed, but many of the people survived. Pendarric led thousands of us to a new realm - the Feragh. And we had Sipstrassi, the Stone from Heaven. You have seen its magic, felt its power. It saved us from ageing, but could not give us wisdom nor prevent the onset of a terrible boredom. Man is a hunting, competitive animal. Unless there is ambition, there is apathy and chaos. We found ambitions. Many of us returned to the world and with our powers we became gods. We built civilisations and we warred one upon another. We made our dreams reality. And some of us saw the dangers . . . others did not. The seeds of madness are nurtured by unlimited power. The wars became more intense, more terrifying. The numbers of the slain could not be counted.
'One among us became Molech, the God of the Canaanites and the Amorites. He demanded the blood sacrifices from every family. Each first-born son or daughter was consigned to the flames.
Torture, mutilation and death were his hallmarks. The agonised screams of his victims were as sweet to him as the music of the lyre. Pendarric called a council of the Feragh and we joined together to oppose Molech. The war was long and bloody, but at last we destroyed his empire.'
'But he survived,' said Cormac.
'No. I found him on the battlements of Babel, with his guard of demons. I cut my way through to him and we faced each other, high above the field of the fallen. Only once have I met a man of such skill, but I was at the magical peak of my strength and I slew Molech, cut his head from his shoulders and hurled the
'And do you seek forgiveness?'
'No. I seek oblivion.'
*
Culain sat opposite the young warrior in the watery sunshine, pleased with the progress Cormac had made in the last eight weeks. The youth was stronger now, his long legs capable of running for mile upon mile over any terrain, his arms and shoulders showing corded muscle, taut and powerful.
He had outgrown the faded red tunic and now wore a buckskin shirt and woollen trews Culain had purchased from a travelling merchant passing through the Caledones towards Pinnata Castra in the east.
'We must talk, Cormac,' said the Lance Lord.
'Why? We have not yet practised with the sword.'
'There will be no sword-play today. After we have spoken, I shall be leaving.'
'I do not wish to talk,' said Cormac, rising.
'Know your enemy,' said Culain softly.
'What does that mean?'
'It means that from today you are on your own -and Anduine's life is in your care. It means that when Wotan finds you - as he will - only you and your skill will be between Anduine and the Blade of Sacrifice.'
'You are leaving us?'
'Yes.'
'Why?' asked the youth, returning to his seat on the fallen log.
'I do not answer to you for my life. But before we part, Cormac, I want you to understand the nature of the enemy, for in that you may find his weakness.'
'How can I fight a god?'
'By understanding what a god is. We are not talking about the Source of All Creation, we are talking about an immortal: a man who has discovered a means to live for ever. But he is a man nonetheless. Look at me, Cormac. I also was an immortal. I was born when the sun shone over Atlantis, when the world was ours, when Pendarric the King opened the Gates of the Universe. But the oceans drank Atlantis and the world was changed for ever. Here, on this Island of Mist, you see the last remnants of Pendarric's power, for this was the northern outpost of the empire. The standing stones were gateways to journeys within and beyond the realm. We gave birth to all the gods and demons of the world. Werebeasts, dragons, blood-drinkers - all were set free by Pendarric.'
Culain sighed and rubbed at his eyes. 'I know there is too much to burden you with here. But you need to understand at least a part of a history that men no longer recall, save as legend.
Pendarric discovered other worlds, and in opening the gates to those worlds he loosed beings very different from men. Atlantis was destroyed, but many of the people survived. Pendarric led thousands of us to a new realm - the Feragh. And we had Sipstrassi, the Stone from Heaven. You have seen its magic, felt its power. It saved us from ageing, but could not give us wisdom nor prevent the onset of a terrible boredom. Man is a hunting, competitive animal. Unless there is ambition, there is apathy and chaos. We found ambitions. Many of us returned to the world and with our powers we became gods. We built civilisations and we warred one upon another. We made our dreams reality. And some of us saw the dangers . . . others did not. The seeds of madness are nurtured by unlimited power. The wars became more intense, more terrifying. The numbers of the slain could not be counted.
'One among us became Molech, the God of the Canaanites and the Amorites. He demanded the blood sacrifices from every family. Each first-born son or daughter was consigned to the flames.
Torture, mutilation and death were his hallmarks. The agonised screams of his victims were as sweet to him as the music of the lyre. Pendarric called a council of the Feragh and we joined together to oppose Molech. The war was long and bloody, but at last we destroyed his empire.'
'But he survived,' said Cormac.
'No. I found him on the battlements of Babel, with his guard of demons. I cut my way through to him and we faced each other, high above the field of the fallen. Only once have I met a man of such skill, but I was at the magical peak of my strength and I slew Molech, cut his head from his shoulders and hurled the
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