Our Mother the Mountain

16. Programming

Godric somehow looked even larger here, as he emerged from the large wooden building; was it the church? Ethan couldn't see thanks to the thick trees around the property, but it seemed familiar, anyway. The monarch, who begrudgingly wore a golden crown, sauntered up to the blond and clapped his hand on his shoulder, steering him toward...somewhere.

"Everything looks so...well made."

"It was," Godric affirmed. He squeezed Ethan's shoulder, his familiar smile settling on his lips as he stared at the blond. Ethan returned the smile, but found it hard to stop staring at the buildings as they resumed their walk. It was nothing like the run-down, meager living conditions he'd seen when looking for Rose last winter. The bleakness of the village was gone; everything was warm, sunny, fresh. Roses bloomed by nearly every home. Windows were open, linens billowing in the breeze, and the sound of talking and laughter drifted across the morning. There was a market in a makeshift town square, and even a larger, although locked this early-tavern and pub. The Potter's field was not a mass grave, but a pasture where several cows grazed.

"To the ceremony site?"

"I thought I needed to see all of Miranda's ....." Ethan sputtered on this. "..Not Miranda's work, I guess. She took all of the religious artifacts, didn't she? From here, from you." From this time and place.

Godric beamed as if proud of Ethan for deciphering this without assistance. His hand was still on the other's shoulder, but now he draped his arm fully across both Ethan's shoulders. He absolutely dwarfed Ethan, and the feeling of walking with a near-giant caused him to ask a question he'd forgotten to ask before.

"Those statues. The giants. Who were they?"

Godric raised an eyebrow. His eyes were strange, Ethan decided as he waited on the answer. Almost yellow. Was the Black God within the King now ? He wondered. The King worked on answering his question, a slight frown etching on his features as they approached the lone road. Even it was different. The path looked well-kept and serene. Clearly it held some importance, apart from being the way to the ceremony site. Villagers parted ways for the pair of men, and all bowed and curtseyed to the King. They were clearly overjoyed at seeing him.

"Those men were--well, one was, my grandfather. A traveler. The others...also from elsewhere. Founding Kings."

"Were they infected?"

"Yes. All who came here were." He paused and frowned, as if to comment on the lack of Megamycete infection that occurred post-Ethan.

"Were they really giants?"

They were crossing over the cliffs, and Ethan could now see the statues' creepy gazes from beyond the rock face. All of this had been destroyed with Chris's explosives, Ethan thought with a mix of relief and sadness. He would never forget walking this path himself, after pushing Rose into Chris's arms. Tears unexpectedly welled up in Ethan's eyes as they started up the hill.

Then he remembered the looming Megamycete, and how it had moved, almost watching them. Peering from overhead with the curiosity and lack of understanding of a child. He shivered, despite the warm morning sunlight.

Some moments of his life he would always remember with a hollow sorrow, as if thinking of them filled him with poison and despondency. That moment on the cliffs was one such moment...another would have been his first encounter with Jack. When he'd ceased being human.

"Not at first," Godric answered. "That came after."

"After...?"

"After they took the gift."