Flash Fiction #538 -- The Long Way Home/37

 

The noise came again from outside the window.  Rory saw something flash in the distance, down by the docks.

"Tell me what I need to know to solve this trouble."

"Pyrida is going to try to reclaim his status from you.  Don't count on Eket stepping in, even if it was his idea.  Eket, Aien, and all the other gods have expected us to deal with our own problems and even the ones they create."

"What can I do about Pyrida?"

"I am not sure, but we'll need to develop something.  Yes, we.  Eket and Aien dropped us into this together."

Rory couldn't argue with that point.

"What can Pyrida do?"

"He still has powers he has hoarded for centuries.  On the other hand, you have been using your powers at every turn of our adventures.  I have more powers than you and understand them better, but I didn't spend centuries in a temple, never using my gifts.  Rory, we will have to use our brains more than our powers.  Stop panicking."

"Zorian, my friend, my thoughts are ... confused.  Scrambled.  I don't have enough sense left to panic.  However, one thought creeps to the top of the others.  How long have the Gods been involved?

"From the first day of creation."

"Zorian," he sighed.

Zorian looked away from the window and nodded, his face mostly in the shadows, though the explosions lighted it now and then.

"I know they were involved when that storm drove you to me.  I suspect they might even have had something to do with the king's death, but I can't be certain.  That may have simply been the sort of accident that puts events in motion that neither humans nor gods control.  That would explain the general chaos."

"Why us?  No, why me?"

"You didn't realize Pyrida had stepped outside of Eket's control.  He did so of his own free will and with clear knowledge of his choice."

"Are you certain?  Maybe he was tricked?"

"You are now in his position.  You have all the knowledge of what your god is and does, even if it is slightly scrambled.  Under any circumstances, could the New Order of Man come to you and talk you out of working with Eket?"

"No, but --" Rory stopped and then gave his companion a nod.  "No.  Not in my new position.  If I have to lock myself up in the temple --"

"Oh, no.  Don't make Pyrida's mistake.  Eket is a god of knowledge.  Pyrida purposely made himself blind to the world that changed, century by century, while he looked elsewhere.  Who controls the New Order of Man?"

"For the last few days, I thought it Pyrida.  Before he showed up, I hadn't even considered it."

"I suspect no one has considered it, which is unnatural.  I need help finding the answer.  Someone is hiding very well, and he's probably close by."

"Living among us."

Zorian nodded.

"Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Everyone but you and me -- and I'm not entirely certain about me."

It would be easy to doubt everyone, but Rory applied some logic to the situation.  "Whomever it is, the person has an understanding of armies and strategy.  I would think hands-on work, in fact."

"General Unanik?"

"It is possible.  The only trouble is that he's so often in the public eye.  This is a long-term and extensive project.  And it went underground lately."

"True.  I thought they'd had a falling out.  There were rumors of it.  New command?"

"Ah."  Zorian looked interested in the news.  "That might explain a lot of odd things.  A new commander might want to do something daring, which finally drew the Gods' attention."

"So daring, in fact, that they've drawn every power they can into this gathering to oppose them.  Why?"

"Dragons."

Odd as it seemed, Rory had forgotten their other companion.  He looked at the bed in time to see the creature rollover.  He couldn't hear them through the shield.

"They're the ones who brought the dragons?" Rory asked.

"I can't think of anyone else.  That would explain why they took in Pyrida -- or took him out of the temple by force."

"He is willingly helping them," Rory replied.  "I would have sensed otherwise.  What is going on out there?"

"The other dragons are fighting to get free.  Greenal started the process, which is why he's so tired, but we need to go and finish it -- and send them home before the Dragon Nation arrives and destroys everything."

"Which even the enemy cannot want," Rory added as he stood.

"No?  What if they were prepared for such trouble and knew that they would survive, and by controlling supplies, they could control the populace?"  Zorian stood as well.  "It has happened before."

"Not many people think about that part of the history of the war with Atria.  It was so long ago that I've only seen a few references to the battles and little about how we won or recovered.  I heard there is a manuscript at the temple that goes into more detail.  I saw it in the index, but the location --"

They were in the hall, and both stopped on the same thought.

"I imagine he had time to read every book several times over," Zorian said as he started forward again.  "And perhaps they don't need someone high up in the forces, Rory.  Maybe all they need is someone who has studied such things for centuries and, with a little magic besides, could move things as he wanted."

Zorian nodded as they started down the stairs, both deep in thought until Andora and Jamison happened upon them at the door.

Though, more likely, they'd been watching for the two.

"Do we have a plan?" Andora dared to ask as they stepped out into the loud night.

"Try for Pyrida," Rory said.  "Free the dragons and avoid a war with them."

No one argued.