Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
“It’s not going down easily,” the Magician says.
“Then we don’t stop fighting,” I reply, dodging a root as it lashes out at me. My blade finds its mark again, cutting deep into the trunk. The forest trembles with Yggthra’s pain, its groaning wail echoing through the trees.
A new root shoots from the soil, coming right for Rasmus, who is trying to get to his knees. I slice my sword through it before it can reach him, severing it, then go to Rasmus and pull him up.
“I just saved your fucking life two times already,” I snarl at him. “Give me a good reason to do it again.”
Rasmus nods, and I glance over my shoulder at the Magician, who is trying to coax more mycelia from the underground.
“Hold still,” I tell Rasmus and bring the tip of my sword down over the mycelium gag, managing to split it in half without breaking his skin.
Rasmus gasps for breath, his eyes widening at something behind me.
I whirl around to see the Magician floating a few feet above the ground, the black void of his hands stretched, creating rivers that pour down to the forest floor, the force pushing his body up into the air.
Suddenly, the black starry rivers sprout up from the ground, burying the mycelia and flowing over the trunk of Yggthra. They wrap around it, spreading over the writhing roots like a black stain until everything is completely covered.
For a moment, Yggthra just shakes violently, as if trying to escape the void. Then, a bright eruption rips through the air, like an exploding sun, and Yggthra’s form begins to collapse in on itself, its roots retreating like wounded snakes.
With one final screech, the Old God crumbles, its blackened wood splintering and dissolving into ash. The forest falls eerily silent, the only sound our ragged breathing.
The Magician lowers himself back to the ground, the black universe coming back to his hands until they look human again.
“That was…impressive,” I tell him. I mean, I know he’s the universe and all, but until now, I was starting to forget he was as powerful and mysterious as he is. It makes my heart skip a beat.
The Magician doesn’t say anything. He walks over and stands beside me, staring down at Rasmus. A powerful energy seems to envelop his robes, making him glow slightly, as if the power he used to defeat Yggthra still clings to him.
Rasmus coughs, staring up at us. His face is pale, his eyes wild.
I keep my sword drawn where he can see it.
“Why?” Rasmus croaks, his voice barely audible. “Why did you save me?”
I glare down at him, gripping the hilt tighter. “Because no one gets to kill you but me.”
“Now that you’ve found out your mother thinks you’re expendable, perhaps you might want to strike a bargain with us,” the Magician says to Rasmus, his voice calm but cold. “A real one. Your chance to be on the right side of things for once.”
Rasmus rubs his lips together for a moment. “Release the rest of me.”
I can’t see it, but I can feel the Magician smiling.
“Always an opportunist,” the Magician comments. “No, I think we’ll keep you bound just like this. You’re still our prisoner, after all. Only this time, we’re the ones with the cards that mean something. We’ll draw yours later.”
Rasmus doesn’t say anything as we haul him to his feet. My legs ache, the arrow wound on my calf burns, and my heart is still racing, but as we stumble away from the wreckage of Yggthra, I can’t help but glance back at the pile of ash and shattered roots.
One Old God down, too many left to go.
CHAPTER THREE
DEATH
I’m surrounded by idiots.
It’s not their fault, of course. They are but mere mortals. Still, I expected more from soldiers, though I suppose the fact that I have gently coerced them into following my orders has taken away a bit of their resolve and gumption. I have to remind myself that when I’m inside their minds and controlling them by the power of suggestion, their overall intelligence takes a hit. Their brains have to decrease in power in order for me to mold them.
Torben and I have taken over the northernmost barracks in Finland, the Jaeger Brigade. Here, there are over a thousand men, and a few voluntary women, trained to handle the raw and desolate terrain of Lapland and the surrounding area. I guess the threat of an invasion from Russia is always on their mind.
Originally, I wanted to take military from all bases across the country, but Torben attempted to use his human logic to illustrate the risks. Apparently, if we had the whole Finnish army under my control, people would notice, and it would cause widespread panic, not just here, but around the world. He then went on to tell me that even though I was an all-powerful God—which was nice of him to finally recognize—I couldn’t possibly control the brains of the entire world.