The Undying God Read Online Free Page A

Suddenly, his
eyes widened as she hefted a battle axe. He tried to arrest his
momentum and spin to the side, but it was too late.
    The axe chopped through his sword and
bit into his shoulder. A splitting scream erupted from his mouth as
he plunged to his knees. The other thug stared in shock, and he
spun to the left upon hearing shouts of alarm. He fled as the city
guards closed in swiftly without mercy.
    “Lower your weapon!” a guard roared at
Nishka.
    “But they attacked me!”
    “I ordered—” The sentry spied movement
to his left and he looked upon Arxu. The sight of the eerie man
approaching rendered him speechless. His eyes widened in shock and
he took an involuntary step backward. “Wha—?”
    “She is with me,” Arxu calmly
explained. The guard still didn’t register his words.
    “You… you are to leave Sepulzer
immediately. Take your goods and leave our city in peace. Lord
Jabul will not tolerate this mayhem from outlanders.” The
proclamation hit Nishka like a blow to the stomach.
    “I didn’t do anything—”
    “We don’t know for certain what
happened,” the guard said, turning a scorching glare on her. “But
we can clearly attest to your assault on this man. For all we know,
you could have connections to these criminals.” The wounded thief
curled up on the streets, trying to hide from Nishka.
    “You are to leave the city by nightfall
or face imprisonment,” the guard warned. He seized the thief and
hauled him away as he whimpered in pain. A lone beggar across the
street watched the entire display.
    “Stupid outsiders,” he huffed to
Nishka’s dismay.
     
    * * *
     
    The markets didn’t recover from the
commotion for the rest of the day. Nishka scanned the various
characters roaming the city square; a dozen women vested in
revealing garments, a priest robed in decadence, and homeless
children wandering the streets.
    She couldn’t locate Arxu anywhere. He
vanished hours ago as though he never existed. Night was fast
approaching and worry crept up on Nishka like thunder before a
storm. If she didn’t heed the guard’s warning, she would be caged
like an animal.
    Nishka wandered past two enormous slabs
of polished granite in the plaza. Weighing over thirty tons and
standing over twenty feet tall, the slabs were inscribed with
writing that Nishka couldn’t decipher. A sudden noise startled her
and she spun to her left. Crouched in the shadows of the slabs was
a small, elderly man.
    “Excuse me,” Nishka piped up. The man
lifted his head. One of his eyes appeared entirely white and
unseeing. His teeth were yellow and his dry skin was irregularly
discolored. She could tell at once he was one of Sepulzer’s many
destitute casualties. Nishka lost her voice for a second, taken
aback by his pitiful appearance. The harmless man smiled at her,
glad to share in a stranger’s company.
    “Have you seen a man with bluish hair?”
Nishka asked. The man looked blankly at her without response.
Nishka persisted, hopeful that he could somehow help. “He’s wearing
a brown cape... and he carries a black staff with him.”
    The beggar held out his hand. By this
time, Nishka was growing weary of people asking her for money. She
reached for a few pieces of bronze in her pocket and dropped them
into his hand. He nodded gratefully and with a trembling finger, he
pointed toward the tower in the distance. Nishka set her eyes upon
Tythoril.
    What could Arxu possibly be
doing in there?
    “Thank you,” she whispered, still
gazing at the morbid spire. She hesitantly walked toward the
imposing building in her determination to find Arxu. Suddenly, her
feet stopped as she traversed the plaza. This was her opportunity
to leave the man behind.
    He deserved nothing less for abandoning
her. He could have at least exercised the courtesy to explain he
was separating from her. Nishka entertained the notion of leaving
Arxu in Sepulzer and continuing her journey without his stifling
presence. By the time she had made