Destiny Unbonded

Chapter 10

As the Gods' blessings are great to the faithful, so is their wrath upon the disobedient.

     - The Canon

[Cyril]

The river became our guide deeper into the Forbidden Lands, and its waters sustained us within a dry rocky desert. A faint trail appeared along with other signs of men: long cold fire rings and old discarded items. Others had walked this path. That realization both encouraged and frightened me.

Ophelia intrigued me. She was at the same time both strong and vulnerable, resolute and unsure, logical and emotional. Her warm smile and deep eyes revealed a good heart, one gentle and compassionate. How had such a true woman fallen into blind service to the Gods? She hesitated to speak of it. When I asked, her face darkened as if under a cloud and I did not pry further.

But faith was a powerful force, leading to destinies false or true. Perhaps the truest telling was what path it led the believer. Both Ophelia and Kit had linked themselves to my unknown destiny, one by choice and the other by innocence. To what fate did I lead them? I hoped to be worthy of their trust.

The path took us along the rim of a steep, unforgiving canyon where the river cascaded among tossed boulders and meager sandbars below. We made our way around narrow fissures cut deep through the walls and spires of colored sandstone, all shaped by the winds and rains. Scrubby trees and plants clung defiantly to the rocky soil, many protected by fierce thorns. This place had a rugged beauty.

We crested a hill and surveyed the way forward. In the distance, the canyon spread into a wide green valley and the river slowed to a lazy meander.

"What is that far ahead by the river?" Ophelia asked, pointing.

A huge object, like a tall pyramid with odd protrusions, stood on a low flattop hill beside the water, towering above the trees and grass that attempted to shroud it. Further upstream, I made out rectangular patches of green and straight narrow ribbons of water.

"I don't know," I answered. "But the map leads us to it. Perhaps there our destiny will be revealed."

As we descended the hill, weaving among reddish-amber boulders and low spreading trees, Ophelia froze, spreading out her arms to halt our progress. Her eyes widened to a blank look and her breath quickened. Dash pawed the dust, causing Kit to wrinkle her forehead.

"What is it?" I asked.

"No!" she whispered in an airy voice. "A God has come near. I sense it."

My heart raced as I spun around, searching. A God would not have come here to bless our journey, but to end it. The corner of my eye caught a crystalline glint of motion near a huge boulder pile. I dove, shoving Ophelia and Kit to the rocky ground just as a crystal arrow flashed past my head, hissing through the air and embedding itself in a red sandstone boulder with a loud crack.

Bent over and shuffling, I hurried them behind a tumbled mound of stacked rocks. Peeking around a rock, I saw the Goddess, a statuesque figure composed of gleaming clear crystal, carrying a bow, with a sword at her side, all composed of the same gleaming crystal. She stood upright on a long flat rock to an imposing height, half again taller than me.

A human-like smirk came to her face as she locked eyes with mine, and she spoke in a human voice. "There you are!" She lowered her bow. "Do run. A good hunt would be most enjoyable."

Ophelia, crouching beside me, drew her mouth into a firm line. "It is Nemesis, the Goddess who slew all those in your village!"

Rage swept through me like a flash fire, consuming my mind and leaving an overwhelming thirst that only a death would satisfy. I brandished my obsidian blade in a white knuckle grip and growled a battle cry through clenched teeth. I stood, but Ophelia grasped my shoulder and pulled me back down. I pushed her hand away, snarling, "That monster killed Father!"