The Amulet - Book 1 of The Immortals Trilogy

Chapter 3 - Kill All The Groundlings

Rybone stood on the balcony of the room which once belonged to King Tyrus, and watched as wave after wave of Faylians took to the black skies and fled Zethera. The panic caused by the appearance of the Amulet was intoxicating, and his heart raced with excitement.

Through the Amulet, he sensed the hellhound's deep desire to hunt as they ran through the forest in the wake of the spreading clouds eager to kill and feed. The exhilaration of finally being free of the stifling light which kept them contained for too many hours of the day pounded his senses. As they ran in the gloom they fed on the bodies of the dead and dying. The taste of warm, metallic blood filled his mouth. Instead of it making him sick, it satisfied him the way a well-cooked meal would. He closed his eyes and smiled with contentment.

When he reopened them, he gazed towards the glow of the fire consuming Kadis and Stratia Forest, shining like a beacon in the gloom.

After the news of the Amulet's return spread through Zethera, those who wanted to be part of its glory came and pledged their loyalty to him. To gauge the depth of their loyalty, Rybone ordered them to attack Kadis and kill all the groundlings. As the God of Life, Death, and Darkness, he knew rescuing the groundlings from their mundane existence without magic would be a blessing to them.

He absently stroked the Amulet with his fingertips as it hummed happily against his chest. His smile widened. All proceeded according to plan, not that there was any doubt it would. Now all he needed to do was wait for the other Gods to come and welcome him into their fold.

His smile was replaced by a thoughtful frown. He expected the Gods to come as soon as the Amulet was activated, yet they failed to reveal themselves to him. At first, he assumed they'd rejected him, only to realise they wouldn't reveal themselves until he finished his task - to kill Jareth.

True he only recently learned Jareth was alive. He assumed he'd died after the fight with Eelios because he was never seen in Zethera afterwards.

It was his deepest desire to avenge Eelios' death, and until this desire was fulfilled, he wasn't able to take his place amongst them.

Once Jareth was dead, everyone would worship him, and it would show the other Gods he was worthy of being among them.

With a self-satisfied smile, he wandered back into his luxurious quarters. The gold architraves, cornices, and skirting boards, stood out against the white walls with pleasing effect. The curtains and furnishings were a bold burgundy, also trimmed with gold.

It was different from the small, one roomed house he used to share with his mother. The house was the epitome of poverty. He and his mother were outcast in Zethera because of Eelios and were lucky to have been offered the hovel to live in by Hamlin after Eelios' death.

He walked across the thick, white carpet to the other side of the room and poured himself a glass of wine from Tyrus' private stock. He lifted the fine crystal glass to his nose and breathed in the rich fruity aroma of the claret liquid. The wine barely touched his lips when Nara threw open the doors and glided in.

Her gown was filthy from her stay in the dungeons. Her eyes blazed, and she rubbed her wrists where the shackles had cut into them. As she walked, she ran her hands down her body and muttered a spell. The filth disappeared and she looked as immaculate as ever. Of course, she could have cleaned herself up before coming to him, but she wouldn't have made her point. He let her linger in the cells longer than she expected, and she was angry.

It amused him to torment her because he knew she dared not complain to him about it.

With a mixture of lust and disdain, he watched her cross the room towards him. He begrudgingly acknowledged her influence over Bard was the turning point in convincing the Council to elect him as Archprime. It also helped that Bard fawned over her and would do anything to win her favour, even if it meant giving him what he wanted. He refused the think about what she'd done to ensure Bard's support, and he didn't want to know. He refused to let Nara know that the thought of Bard touching her left him nauseous.