Page 58 of Mad Dragon of Chaos

And yet, he couldn’t stop Tyche from telling his story. Something was weighing on him, and he needed to get the words out.

“It wasn’t long after that I left this region and started traveling west. Through what would become the Ordas and into Erya. I happened upon a bigger town with a few permanent structures. It was a peaceful spot. There were wide plains, and some people had taken to keeping herds of sheep and goats. I also found that I missed people.” Tyche glanced at Shey and flashed a weak, crooked smile. “It happens to everyone once in a while.”

Shey grinned encouragingly, afraid of what was coming but also not wanting him to stop. “A quiet life is nice, but people can be useful. They introduced you to coffee.”

“True, but not for a long time after this. The interesting thing about this town was that it possessed a group of about five minor gods. I’d never encountered any of them before. In fact, I couldn’t remember ever seeing so many in one location.”

“Really? You don’t have annual conventions where you get together and share stories while drinking bad beer?” Shey teased, trying to get Tyche’s mood to lighten.

Tyche threw him a dark look. “Definitely not. Being a crown prince, there’s an ancient saying that I’m sure you know. One mountain can’t⁠—”

“One mountain can’t contain two tigers,” Shey finished for him. “I know it well. It’s a warning given to all royal children, especially those with siblings or a powerful extended family. Two figures of power will always fight for dominance.”

“Exactly. It’s easy when any of us crosses the path of a major god. The true tiger is obvious. The rest of us retreat or risk annihilation. But with a meeting of minor gods, it’s usually a crossing of equals.” Tyche paused and shook his head. “They’re not all like that. Yesuntei wasn’t. Cirina wasn’t. She wanted only to protect her sister. I was indifferent to all of them, too aware of my own limitations. However, that group of five intrigued me. They had called a truce. Each god spent the night outside the town, and each morning, they returned for a meal and conversation. It was a rare chance for us all to share our stories. Learn interesting things. No antagonism, because it was agreed that after our exchange, we would go our separate ways.”

Shey reached out and caught Tyche’s arm. He squeezed, trying to reassure him. “That sounds nice.”

“It was. That meeting was the first time I heard about Zyros and her quest to become a goddess. A quest sanctioned by Tula and the other major gods. We had few details, but we knew this huntress was unsatisfied with the powers she’d gained from Tula, so she’d started hunting minor gods and stealing their powers.” Tyche frowned at the railing, and his hand balled into a fist. “I didn’t believe what they were telling me. Kaes or Nyx getting pissy and wiping out a bunch of minor gods I could believe. I’d seen it. The major gods are a level of power beyond my reach. But they weren’t talking about a major god.” Tyche stepped over toward Shey, lines dug into his face as he said in a trembling voice. “This was a human. A human hunting gods. How was I supposed to believe that?”

Shey froze in the face of Tyche’s obvious pain. He waited, watching Tyche pull free of the old memory enough to see him. The God of Luck possessed nightmare magic, but Shey wasn’t sure if it would affect him the same way it did Haru. Was he hallucinating and suffering from waking nightmares as well?

Tyche’s breathing evened out and his expression smoothed. “Sorry.”

Leaning forward, Shey brushed a kiss to his temple. “Don’t be. I want to know everything.”

“As we’d agreed, I left that night and returned to the burrow I’d made for myself outside of town on a small rise. It was in just the right spot that I could see the torches outside the homes flickering in the darkness. The sight of them was reassuring.” Tyche smiled and lifted one hand as if he were feeling the heat off those torches even now. “Like I wasn’t so alone in the world.”

Shey kissed his forehead. “You’re not alone anymore.”

“Twilight had fallen when I heard the first scream. And then another. I hurried out of my burrow to see torches popping up everywhere and wildly waving about. Sounds of fighting and dying. Magic was heavy in the air. Like a fat rain cloud sitting low in the sky, waiting to burst open. But that didn’t make sense. All the gods had promised to leave town at night, and we had kept to our promise. Plus, we’d stayed close to this town for more than a month, swapping stories while using what meager services were available in the town. We traded with the villagers for food and other goods. Not one of us had a problem with them. Even with the feeling of magic, I convinced myself that it was bandits or some other raiding party. I thought I could help the villagers because they’d done so much for me.”

“But it wasn’t raiders,” Shey murmured as Tyche fell silent.

Tyche shuddered. “No. When I reached the village, I saw several dead humans in the streets. Their bodies horribly ripped apart. A bit farther in, I spotted her. Zyros. She was like a feral monster. Her slender body glistened in the moonlight, covered in blood from head to toe as if she had bathed in it. She stood over the bodies of two of my minor god companions as she fought another two. I could see that they were losing. The magic…the sheer raw power rolling off her was suffocating. I knew there was no way I could beat her. I had to run.”

“Good.”

Tyche frowned at Shey. “I’m a coward, Shey. With my help, they might have tipped the scales in their favor.”

Shey grabbed Tyche’s jaw and pinched it hard, forcing him to hold Shey’s stony gaze. “She defeated two other minor gods and was on the cusp of beating two more. I’ve experienced enough of the battlefield to recognize an impossible fight. Retreating and regrouping are always better than dying for nothing.”

“I ran. Obviously.” Tyche turned his head, and Shey released him, his heart breaking for his friend. “As I escaped, I tripped on the body of one of my companions. He was nearly dead. I tried to put him on my back so I could bring him along, but he said no. He’d only slow me down. There was already a large gash across his chest. He reached inside and pulled out his sarira. I was horrified. They’d talked about Zyros stealing power this way, but I’d never seen it. He pressed his into my hand and told me to use it or hide. Just never let her have it. I didn’t question it. He took his last breath, and I ran.”

“You escaped and survived.” Shey touched his cheek, wiping away a stray tear. “I’m glad.”

“Zyros pursued me for years. Always a few steps behind. I could never settle. Never risk talking to anyone or using my powers. It was only after I ventured into what became Ilon that she finally backed off and left me alone. Years later, I learned there was something between her and Lore, the God of Wisdom. In truth, I didn’t care so long as I was safe. I hid in those lands for centuries until the God War and the formation of the godstones. Still, I waited centuries to dare venture out and live again. I told myself it was safe to forget about what happened.”

Shey frowned. “But you didn’t forget. I see it in your eyes. In how you keep up walls against the world. In how you act with Caelan. That nightmare was always lurking in the forefront of your mind.”

“No, I didn’t forget completely. I never forgot about those of my own kind that she killed. There were others I knew who disappeared, killed by her as well. At the end, there were so few of us left. It’s no wonder that all of Thia forgot about us. Stopped worshiping.” He lifted his hand and harshly rubbed his eyes. Tyche paced away from where he stood near Shey, his hands dropping to his sides, balled into fists. “No, this isn’t what I wanted to tell you.”

Shey straightened and took a step toward Tyche, but stopped, wanting to give him some space. “Take your time. We have all night.”

Tyche turned, a soft smile on his lips and a sparkle of unshed tears in his eyes. The look of gratitude tightened something in Shey’s throat. “Thank you.”

“I want to know everything about you. Good and bad. I’ll happily listen to any story you have to tell.”

Tyche’s smile crumbled slightly. “Kaes and I have a bit of a past.”