Chapter Three
"The court has decided your sentence is fair. You will give us half your powers and body?" The Lord's voice echoed over the courtyard
Hyne nodded "I will embody the three ladies who have convicted me with my powers. When their time comes to die, three more women shall be born who can take their powers. As long as they hold my powers they shall not die, but 'ware, for down that path lies the way to evil, hate and destruction."
"What about your body?!" shouted a voice from the balcony
Hyne smiled. "Behold my body!" Flinging back his cloak, he revealed a vaguely human shape, a swirling mass of light and dark "I am pure energy. I shall imbue these knights with half of my energy. They shall each gain strength and skill far beyond that of other mortals."
Purple and white lightning bolts arced from the misty form of Hyne into the knights and ladies gathered around the courtyard.
Gilgamesh gasped as the power flooded into him. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt. He felt as if he could take on the world and win. He felt more alive than he ever thought possible. Then hot on the heels of this incredible ecstasy came another sensation. Pain. Agony. Gilgamesh was dimly aware of the sounds of screams before he blacked out.
***
"Gilgamesh?"
He could hear a woman's voice calling him on the edge of hearing. He opened his eyes to a blinding light. As his vision came into a focus, he saw he was in some kind of hospital ward. Everything was sterile white except. He paused a moment, and a pink blur resolved itself into a woman's face. The face of the woman he had sworn an oath to protect. The sounds of screaming came back to him and he came to with a jolt. "Natoli…are you… alright?" He couldn't seem to get the words out properly; they came slurred and stuttering.
Natoli smiled down at him. "I'm fine, Gilgamesh" she reassured him "me, Talia and Savil were all up days ago."
Gilgamesh frowned "D…days?"
"You've been out cold for nearly a fortnight now. Seoman seems to have taken it worst. Hyne changed something in all of you. Something physical. You…well you'd best look for yourself" she handed Gilgamesh a mirror, and clutched his hand as he stared into it.
Gilgamesh had changed. His skin was streaked with vivid red and white bars. His eyes had turned a cloudy white, as if he was blinded, although he could see better than he ever had before. "Odin and Seoman? Are they… like this too?"
"Odin's skin and eyes have been discoloured yes. Seoman hasn't changed."
A voice came from the bed to Gilgamesh's right. "Seoman was ugly enough as is. Even Hyne can't make him worse."
Gilgamesh turned to the source of the voice. Odin was lying there, with Savil watching over him. Gilgamesh managed to crack a grin at his friend's joke. "I suppose you can't improve on perfection. And Seoman is perfectly ugly." He tried to hide the shock he felt at seeing his friend. Odin's hair had been bleached of all colour, and his face had taken on a pale yellow cast. The thing that most startled Gilgamesh was his friend's eyes. They had turned blood red, glimmering in his yellow face like two rubies set in a gold mask. He didn't quite manage to keep the shock off his face though. Odin lowered his eyes at Gilgamesh's expression and turned back to Savil. Gilgamesh swore under his breath and turned to Natoli. He looked at her for a long time before saying, "You're hiding something."
Natoli looked startled and jerked up guiltily. "I didn't want to tell you. You're not well enough yet."
"I'm well. Tell me."
Natoli glanced around the room, not wanting to meet Gilgamesh's eyes. "Hyne…tricked us. He ran off to gods know where, and we've found out that he didn't give us half his power and body."
Gilgamesh started bolt upright then sank back down with a groan as his back protested "That…BASTARD! I knew he wouldn't keep his word." He looked at Natoli's face; still not meeting his eyes "That's the good news isn't it? What's the bad news?"
Natoli jerked guiltily again, before shaking her head ruefully. "You know me too well Gilgamesh. Hyne used some of the power and body he was supposed to give us to create two monsters. The people are starting to call them the Weapons. That's what they are I suppose. Hyne's weapon against humankind. They started attacking border twos and villages. 'Most everyone's taken refuge in the city. But don't worry about them Gilgamesh. If you're up from that bed a second before the doctor says you're well, I'll give you a drubbing you'll never forget."
Gilgamesh sighed and sank back reluctantly into his pillows. "Yes ma'am."
"The court has decided your sentence is fair. You will give us half your powers and body?" The Lord's voice echoed over the courtyard
Hyne nodded "I will embody the three ladies who have convicted me with my powers. When their time comes to die, three more women shall be born who can take their powers. As long as they hold my powers they shall not die, but 'ware, for down that path lies the way to evil, hate and destruction."
"What about your body?!" shouted a voice from the balcony
Hyne smiled. "Behold my body!" Flinging back his cloak, he revealed a vaguely human shape, a swirling mass of light and dark "I am pure energy. I shall imbue these knights with half of my energy. They shall each gain strength and skill far beyond that of other mortals."
Purple and white lightning bolts arced from the misty form of Hyne into the knights and ladies gathered around the courtyard.
Gilgamesh gasped as the power flooded into him. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt. He felt as if he could take on the world and win. He felt more alive than he ever thought possible. Then hot on the heels of this incredible ecstasy came another sensation. Pain. Agony. Gilgamesh was dimly aware of the sounds of screams before he blacked out.
***
"Gilgamesh?"
He could hear a woman's voice calling him on the edge of hearing. He opened his eyes to a blinding light. As his vision came into a focus, he saw he was in some kind of hospital ward. Everything was sterile white except. He paused a moment, and a pink blur resolved itself into a woman's face. The face of the woman he had sworn an oath to protect. The sounds of screaming came back to him and he came to with a jolt. "Natoli…are you… alright?" He couldn't seem to get the words out properly; they came slurred and stuttering.
Natoli smiled down at him. "I'm fine, Gilgamesh" she reassured him "me, Talia and Savil were all up days ago."
Gilgamesh frowned "D…days?"
"You've been out cold for nearly a fortnight now. Seoman seems to have taken it worst. Hyne changed something in all of you. Something physical. You…well you'd best look for yourself" she handed Gilgamesh a mirror, and clutched his hand as he stared into it.
Gilgamesh had changed. His skin was streaked with vivid red and white bars. His eyes had turned a cloudy white, as if he was blinded, although he could see better than he ever had before. "Odin and Seoman? Are they… like this too?"
"Odin's skin and eyes have been discoloured yes. Seoman hasn't changed."
A voice came from the bed to Gilgamesh's right. "Seoman was ugly enough as is. Even Hyne can't make him worse."
Gilgamesh turned to the source of the voice. Odin was lying there, with Savil watching over him. Gilgamesh managed to crack a grin at his friend's joke. "I suppose you can't improve on perfection. And Seoman is perfectly ugly." He tried to hide the shock he felt at seeing his friend. Odin's hair had been bleached of all colour, and his face had taken on a pale yellow cast. The thing that most startled Gilgamesh was his friend's eyes. They had turned blood red, glimmering in his yellow face like two rubies set in a gold mask. He didn't quite manage to keep the shock off his face though. Odin lowered his eyes at Gilgamesh's expression and turned back to Savil. Gilgamesh swore under his breath and turned to Natoli. He looked at her for a long time before saying, "You're hiding something."
Natoli looked startled and jerked up guiltily. "I didn't want to tell you. You're not well enough yet."
"I'm well. Tell me."
Natoli glanced around the room, not wanting to meet Gilgamesh's eyes. "Hyne…tricked us. He ran off to gods know where, and we've found out that he didn't give us half his power and body."
Gilgamesh started bolt upright then sank back down with a groan as his back protested "That…BASTARD! I knew he wouldn't keep his word." He looked at Natoli's face; still not meeting his eyes "That's the good news isn't it? What's the bad news?"
Natoli jerked guiltily again, before shaking her head ruefully. "You know me too well Gilgamesh. Hyne used some of the power and body he was supposed to give us to create two monsters. The people are starting to call them the Weapons. That's what they are I suppose. Hyne's weapon against humankind. They started attacking border twos and villages. 'Most everyone's taken refuge in the city. But don't worry about them Gilgamesh. If you're up from that bed a second before the doctor says you're well, I'll give you a drubbing you'll never forget."
Gilgamesh sighed and sank back reluctantly into his pillows. "Yes ma'am."
