The Contention

Read The Contention for Free Online Page B

Book: Read The Contention for Free Online
Authors: Jeremy Laszlo
Tags: Speculative Fiction
word he agreed, and so he should.
    “Followers of Ishanya,” Seth began, speaking loudly without yelling. “Many thought me dead, and it is true that with what I have been through I should be. Look at me though; not a scratch on me. I have been stabbed, burned in magical fire, exploded, and have disappeared altogether in a magical blast, yet I stand before you now through the power given to me by our goddess Ishanya. Behold me, but do not stop there, for the priest of this very temple stands here as a werewolf of immense power and unparalleled battle prowess. To my other side is my beautiful wife who, also through the power of Ishanya, is changed. Though you may not see it, I assure you she has become something greater than human. Witness the birth of a new era, an era in which devout followers are rewarded for their loyal worship.” Seth lowered his voice as he concluded.
    Applause exploded throughout the room and Seth looked beyond the pews to see that the entry room was also now filled to capacity with people standing in attendance to hear his words. Though he felt his duty to Ishanya was more than completed, he did not want to disappoint those gathered to see him and so he began to speak again.
    “As many of you may know, the kingdom of Valdadore is once again at risk. An immense army is marching this very morning towards our beautiful city to lay it to ruins. The conniving King Sigrant wishes to crush our home and claim it as his own, but my companions and I will be marching alongside the King of Valdadore, my brother, as he steps out to meet our foe. Everyone here can help preserve the kingdom that we love. As such I personally beseech you, in the name of Ishanya, to do as I command. Those of you able to train and fight make your way outside the castle this very day to be outfitted and trained for battle. Those of you unable to fight, or those of you with young children, scour the city for every scrap of metal you can find, be it mug, armor, spoon or nail, and donate it to the nearest blacksmith. Beyond that, the army will need straight wooden shafts for the production of arrows and spears. Leave the city and travel to the nearest forest and collect what usable material you can and return with all haste. Those are my orders, and though I apologize for the disruption, I need to speak to the priestess at some length, but will return her to tend to you all as quickly as possible.” Seth looked out on a room of nodding heads.
    Everyone in the congregation understood his meaning well, and no sooner had Seth turned to collect his comrades and the priestess than the room erupted into organized motion. Each of them would do what they could to help the cause. And why? Because Seth, the man labeled a Death Mage by the previous king, labeled a champion of the goddess Ishanya, temporarily labeled dead and now labeled the Crown Prince of Valdadore, seemingly the most powerful mortal to walk the face of Thurr, had commanded them to. Now Seth felt he was making progress, but before he could decide on how to approach the vast majority of his tasks he needed some answers from the priestess.
    After collecting the young woman and her babe, Seth and his companions followed her through a twisting corridor that led further back and down into the ground from the previous large antechamber. Marina explained to them as she walked that each of these rooms had existed in the building’s original construction and had only been sealed off as the goddess’s following dwindled. It seemed now that more than a dozen rooms existed in the underground temple, each of them having been cleaned, restored and refurnished through donations to the temple’s cause.
    They soon entered a relatively small chamber near the end of the long, winding corridor. The room was sparsely decorated, unlike many others they had passed, though it held a large rectangular table covered in exquisite carvings with several upholstered chairs to match. Each piece of

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