“It is not up to me to reverse it, boy. The curse must be fulfilled or broken by she who bears it.”
Garren pressed the axe further into Anthes's throat, where golden blood began to well. Anthes did not flinch away from it, the warlord that he was. He only trained a hard eye on Garren.
“Garren,” Oriana broke the tension between the two Gods. “He speaks the truth. There are powers at work that you do not fully understand. When Anthes cursed me, he set a fixed destiny. The curse must be fulfilled. It is now up to fate and destiny alone.”
Garren growled in a way that Oriana had never heard him do before. It was the sound of pure, powerful rage.
“Release him,” Garren said.
“What?” Oriana gasped. “No, if I release him, he will–”
“Release him!” Garren roared.
Oriana flinched at his fury and looked to Orrick, who gave her a barely perceptible nod before training his eyes intently on Garren.
Her heart slammed against her rib cage as she released the snake's hold around her father.
Anthes shot forward, but before he could grab his battle axe from Garren’s grip, Garren tossed the weapon at him, pulling his long sword free from where it lay sheathed on his back.
“Garren!” Oriana screamed, but she was too late. Anthes was already swinging the axe at Garren’s head. But to her utter surprise, Garren brought his sword up and blocked Anthes’s swing.
The clang of steel echoed around them. Garren’s blade held firm, against all odds. It didn’t shatter into a million pieces around them. The blade had blocked Balthar. Impossible, Oriana thought, but the memory shot through her mind of that same blade drawing blood from her own finger.
Anthes drew his brows together in baffled astonishment.
Garren pulled back, and then pushed forward with his attack, moving through the motions with fluid grace just as she had seen him practice all those weeks ago at this very cove. He forced Anthes on the defensive, pushing him further and further toward the cliffside. But before Garren could push him any further, he spun, slashing his axe at Garren’s side. Garren dodged with fluid ease but lost the upper hand. Anthes came back at him with god-like speed until Garren was dancing dangerously close to the edge of the cliffs. Just when Oriana was about to scream out his name to warn him, he dove and rolled to Anthes side and slashed his blade. Anthes grunted, swinging his axe to parry the strike, but the curved edge hooked onto Garren’s sword. Oriana saw the flash of victory in Garren’s silver eyes just before he yanked his blade upward and Anthes’s axe went flying in a spiraling arc through the air. It was caught not by Garren, but by Orrick, who had come to stand by his side.
“Who are you?” Anthes growled at Garren.
The tip of Garren’s blade dug into the god’s chest and broke through his flesh, where a light trickle of blood began to soak into his leather armored vest.
“I am the man who never wants to see your hideous face ever again. You will leave this place and never set foot here again. For if you do, I will know it and I won’t be so kind the next time we face one another.” Garren’s voice was deathly calm. “You will never see your daughter again. Never even think her name, for she is no longer and will never be your pet again, god of war and trickery.”
Anthes seethed at Garren. They looked like two towering giants ready to tear each other limb from limb.
“Dearest father,” Orrick sauntered forward, “Might we take a little journey to one of my favorite realms?”
Anthes didn’t break his stare with Garren. “What are you, boy?”
Orrick looked quickly to Oriana. “Might you…you know,” he said, making a coiling motion with his finger. With a snap of her fingers, the snake coiled tightly around her father once again.
“Oriana, release me!” Anthes boomed, struggling in the snake's hold.
Her eyes found Orrick’s once again, and he gave her a small nod of approval.
Orrick's arms wrapped around his father. In all their years growing up together, they had never thought to team up against Anthes together, but Oriana saw it clearly now. Their combined powers could defeat him–had defeated him–for they were stronger together than apart.
Orrick graced her with the most genuine smile she had ever seen spread upon his lips. She mirrored him with a nod of respect.
“Release me at once, children!” Anthes squirmed within Orrick and the serpent’s hold.
Orrick ignored his father, instead turning to Garren. “Halfling, do not allow her to find satiation in the weakness of men.”
Garren furrowed his brow, opening his mouth to no doubt ask what Orrick meant, but Oriana cut him off. “Why are you helping us?”
An uncharacteristic sadness settled over Orrick’s features. “The Gods cast me off long ago, sister. It’s time I pay them back for their harsh judgements. Tootles,” he said, wiggling his fingers in a small wave and plastering that mischievous smirk back upon his lips. And then he was gone, taking Anthes and Balthar with him.
Oriana and Garren turned to each other, both opening and closing their mouths in unison, wanting to say so much, wanting to ask so much, but the crimson moon shining high above had other plans.
