Hammer and Feather Ch. 65-77

Cyran caught a glimpse of Kwes disappearing over the side of the spire and glanced at the others to see if they had noticed. They were opening doors and finding vantages along the spires as soldiers began to mill around beneath them.

"The doors will have drawn her attention." Imos smiled faintly. "Too many have been opened here to ignore."

Isca stepped onto a low, flat stone outcropping, much like a stage followed by several soldiers and priests. A half-elf who looked like Kwes from this distance, except for the faint aura that told Cyran it was a lie, an illusion, was being dragged by the soldiers.

The soldier closest to the half-elf looked odd as well, as if he were lying somehow even though, as far as Cyran could tell, he wasn't speaking.

*Seventy-four*

"Syreilla the Rook!" Isca's shout reverberated among the stone spires.

Syr grinned and stepped to the edge of one to look down, using the power of Isca's stone to ignite dragon's fire below herself on the spire. Among others, Valim, and Finwion, wearing Magpie's face, stood next to the huntress on a lower stone outcropping that almost looked like a stage.

"Are you ready to surrender, Isca?" She laughed as she called down letting her voice ring as loudly.

"I am going to kill your brother with your talons and-"

"You'll do no such thing. Surrender now or die."

"I stand with an army. You stand alone!"

Ahevhethrah laughed and placed a hand on Syreilla's shoulder peering down at Isca as well. "Even alone my Golden Rook would be more than a match for your army, but she has all of the other gods at her back, from Atos to Hevtos and all in between, even the gods of elves and dwarves. Bend your knee to me in supplication, I will give you fair correction."

Syr watched as Isca barked an order and Finwion pretending to be a terrified Magpie was thrust forward. Both of Syreilla's talons were thrust into his belly but instead of screaming, he started to laugh, giving her a shove and leaving the blades where they were.

Finwion opened a door beneath his own feet and dropped from sight, appearing suddenly next to them on the spire above.

"Did you want these, sister dearest?" He grinned and tugged them free, his flesh closing without blood or a single mark.

"Thank you, Finwion."

The elf's smile dropped and he gave her a sullen pout. Syr took the blades and put them in one hand, holding them with the soft shoes dangling from her fingertips before she grabbed him by the front of his badly damaged guardsman's uniform with the other, yanking him forward to give him a kiss on the cheek.

While he was close she whispered in his ear, "Be careful calling me 'sister' you might end up calling Odos 'Father'."

He broke into laughter again and stepped back looking smug, "I've heard them asking if you're really his or if you're mine."

"Belthamdir may make them wonder even more, sweet girl but as vicious as a dragon when she's sour." Syr grinned as he folded his arms and looked at her incredulously. "Are you sure she's yours?"

He wagged his finger before looking down at the scene unfolding below. Magpie wearing Finwion's face was putting on a show.

"It's time. You might go help him if you can." Syr glanced around. "Where are Ezphine and my dragons?"

As if summoned, Vedhethrah's roar followed by her uncles' filled the air. She stepped away from the edge as Ahevhethrah called on Isca once more to surrender.

"My treasure?" Syvezar appeared with Ezphine. "Thrastungrid insisted that I bring this to you." He held out her Eye. "She said to tell you, 'Your eye isn't hard enough but your Eye is.' It made no sense."

"It does to me." She pulled him into a kiss and then pulled the old sigil out of the pocket of her pants. Pressing it into his palm, she opened a door beneath him and dropped him several spires away.

"Syreilla?" Ezphine frowned.

"The time has come that I have to ask something of you, Ezphine. I promise this will be the only thing I ask. I need you to bring your hammer down three times and say these words as you do. 'I sever your connection to your few remaining worshippers. I sever your connection to power. I sever your connection to life.' And all of this will be done."

"Where am I bringing my hammer down, Syreilla?" The goddess looked dubious.

"I'm going to pin her stone with my talons and you'll bring your hammer down on top of my stone. It's the only way. I would have used the eye in my head but Thrastungrid is right, it's not hard enough."

"What's going to happen to your stone?"

"It's already been carved once, it will shatter."

"Syreilla-"

"This is what my talons were made for, it's why my stone was sent. I'm going to bleed off as much of her power as I can. I need you to swing your hammer and say the words. Please."

Ezphine didn't look comfortable with the thought but she gave a nod.

Syr brought the talons together and wrapped the chain around them so that the stone was at the top, held in place. Spilling the red stone out of Finwion's shoe, she placed the tips of her talons on it and began drawing from the red stone, igniting dragon's fire around them.

"You're sure about this?" Ezphine hefted her hammer.

"No." Syr swallowed the laughter that wanted to bubble up but let the mad grin take its place on her face, "But do it anyway. And try to aim your words at her?"

The forge goddess breathed a laugh and brought the hammer down. "Isca! I sever your connection to your few remaining worshippers!"

Syreilla closed her eyes and held the talons steady despite the pain radiating up her arms. She set her will to using Isca's power and her own to back Ezphine.

"I sever your connection to power!" The hammer rang against the stone of Syreilla's Eye and the fire suddenly felt suffocatingly hot. "I sever your connection to life! Isca!"

There was no air to breathe as the stones both shattered. She barely heard Ezphine's indistinct voice over the roar of the flames rushing to embrace her.

*Seventy-five*

Vedhethrah roared in anguish as Syvezar scrambled to get to the spire Syreilla was burning on.

"Syreilla! Ahevhethrah! Someone put out the fire!" Ezphine shouted for help.

Syvezar leapt to the back of the dragon flying urgently past. They landed on the spire and rushed to the circle of scorched earth and stone.

"Vedhethrah!" Ahevhethrah held out his hand, "Did you bring them?"

The dragon vanished and returned immediately, naked, in his human form with a pouch. "All I could find of them-"

"They will be enough." The King of the gods poured them onto the shattered mess of shards and melted metal before he withdrew a brilliant feather, like dragon's fire from his shirt. "This was made for Syvezar. Take it, use it as the stone is reforged.

"Ezphine, I will give you fire."

Syvezar took it and cradled the feather. Use it? Vedhethrah gripped his shoulders and both of them struck the realization at once. She needed them separate so that he would be strong enough to... Syvezar bent his will to her rebirth from the ash and Vedhethrah backed him with his own power. He closed his eyes, putting all of their combined strength and power into his treasure's rebirth.

The forge goddess held her hammer over the melted gold and shards of blue stone as the red shards and steel burned away.

"Syreilla the Rook! You owe me a favor for reforging this stone!" Ezphine sounded furious. "And you'll owe me two for having me break it in the first place!"

Soft laughter started and then Syreilla's perfect silvery laughter was echoing across the spires. Syvezar opened his eyes and saw the bird of brilliant golden flame rise from the ashes before him and then come back down, congealing into the perfect form of his naked half-elven treasure. Cloth of smoke wrapped itself around her.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Ezphine, and I'm glad to give them to you."

The forge goddess gave Syreilla an exasperated look. "You could have warned me."

"Would you still have done it? Even I wasn't sure what would happen after the stones shattered."

"Ahevhethrah, make that girl's ears ring for me." Ezphine broke into a grin.

"My Golden Rook." Their grandfather pulled her into an embrace and then shook her sharply. "If you ever do such a thing again I will shake you until your skull rattles."

"Yes, Grandfather." Syreilla grinned and then turned her eyes to where Syvezar stood with Vedhethrah. "I didn't mean to upset my dragons either but-"

"I will devour you and keep you in my belly." The dragon stalked forward. "That would be a fitting punishment."

"Vezar did promise to chew me properly if he decided to eat me." She gave him a disarming smile and Syvezar broke into laughter.

"My treasure, you frightened us both." He felt a pang as she embraced Vedhethrah, but when she reached out her hand for him it eased.

Embracing her alongside him didn't feel like enough.

She murmured softly, "I need both of you."

"She needs Vezar Edra, the Undying," Ahevhethrah spoke gently. "It is time to put your pain and pride aside and become one again, my grandson. And it is time for me to become two. I cannot keep my sons confined to their tasks."

"Are you certain?" Zyulla asked gently. "I..."

"You will have two husbands if you wish." Ahevhethrah was smiling ruefully as Syvezar looked their way. "Or you may choose one."

"I want the whole." Zyulla wrapped her arms around him.

"Two husbands isn't bad." Syreilla smiled and gave a small laugh, "If mine could get along I could get used to it. As much as I miss Vezar I don't want them to do something that they would prefer not to do."

Vedhethrah purred. "We have worshippers. If Grandfather will allow it-"

"You would split and rejoin as you please?" The King sounded speculative.

"I'd consider it a favor." Syreilla grinned at him and Ahevhethrah laughed.

"I may do the same." Their grandfather smiled down at Zyulla. "Take up your stone, Syreilla."

She pulled away from both of them and Syvezar inclined his head to Vedhethrah, sending the thought that he was ready to try. The dragon gazed after their treasure, not looking in his direction before agreeing with a thought of his own. Syv turned to watch her as well and felt his other half step forward from behind.

With a shudder, they merged once more.

Vezar felt only elation, gazing at the half-elf as she was studying a peculiar stone with a smile. Blue with gold mottled through it, the reforged stone was lovely and whole.

"This is beautiful, Ezphine."

"If you want it restrung..." The forge goddess smiled.

"I lend it to the dwarves, Orsas should be the one to restring it."

"You could lend it to humans." Vezar teased and she turned with a grin.

"I have family in the mines that need to be kept safe."

He held out his hand and she placed the stone in it as she embraced him. It felt as if she'd placed herself in his hand.

Caressing her delicate ear, Vezar let her feel his desire through their shared threads to keep it and keep it safe. "There is no need to rush giving this treasure away. Perhaps a lesser stone could serve your purposes as well."

Threads of gratitude and desire wrapped around him as his perfect Syreilla put her arms around him and clung tightly.

"I missed you, beloved."

*Seventy-six*

Kwes leapt onto the stone stage from his hidden vantage on the spire above and bowed with a flourish, wagging his finger at Isca after Finwion vanished with the talons.

The goddess of war's face contorted in fury as she commanded, "Kill that elf!"

Every story he'd ever heard about the clever boy had said that he wasn't a fighter. He danced out of the way of blows and mocked his enemies to the point of madness. Grinning, Kwes wagged his finger and made faces at the attacking soldiers and priests. Valim seemed to understand what was happening, the man stepped in as if he would fight, but managed to only stab the other soldiers.

"The spells do nothing!" One of the priests cast another stinging ward at him and Kwes wagged a finger.

"He's an elf god, not an elf." Valim glanced at the man, "She needs to be the one casting spells."

"How dare you!" The priest gasped but Isca held up her hand curling it into a fist as if she were trying to make something happen.

Kwes grinned and shook his head before making a gesture to the priests, intending to suggest she was as powerless as they were. Aderune came to stand next to Isca, putting himself between her and Valim with wide eyes as if protecting her.

"I think you're right." Valim grinned and started openly attacking those still trying to cast spells.

The words now echoing down from above them punctuated by hammer falls were clear and as soon as the blow rang out and Ezphine bellowed that Isca's ties to life were severed, Finwion shouted down to Valim from a perch above them, "NOW! She's mortal!"

Aderune was faster, the man drew a blade from his sleeve and plunged it into his astonished mother's heart.

"You lied to me and wanted to limit me. You preferred your precious Itia over me. Syreilla told me the truth. It's time for a new god of war, with your death I can rise-"

"Rook's fire to that."

Valim plunged his sword into Aderune's back and then yanked it out to cut off the priest's head with a single stroke as the man fell to his knees. Isca sank to hers still staring at her son and Valim brought his blade down again, lopping her head off as well as if he were cutting firewood. He then looked up at the commotion above them.

"What's going on up there?"

Finwion dropped down to where they were as the soldiers stared at Isca in horror or up at the dragon now vanishing from the stone spire above them.

"Syreilla the Rook sacrificed herself and her stone to make Isca mortal. But..." He grinned up at the gathering. "Not even being burned to ash can stop Lady Rook."

A moment later Ezphine's furious voice rang out again. "Syreilla the Rook! You owe me a favor for reforging this stone! And you'll owe me two for having me break it in the first place!"

There was silence for a long moment and then Syreilla's silvery laughter was echoing down to them as a bird of brilliant golden flame rose and then came back down on the spire.

Kwes stared and then looked back at Finwion incredulously. The elf had resumed his own face and, clearing his throat, Kwes realized he had his voice back.

"Did she just-"

The clever boy grinned and began flapping his arms comically.

He and Valim both broke into laughter.

"What just happened?" One of the priests approached with a sick look on his face.

"Isca is dead. Lady Rook sacrificed herself to make it happen and then was reborn from her own ashes as a bird of flame."

"If there is one god or goddess you don't want to cross," Valim pointed upward, "It's that one."

"Is she the new queen of the gods?" The priest glanced up.

"No, but she's the King's Golden Rook." Kwes grinned as Finwion nodded and pointed at him in agreement. "Every King needs an executioner. Who better for the task than the goddess of righteous vengeance?

"She claimed you for a priest when you drank with her, Valim. That's why Isca couldn't touch you."

There was a murmur around them and it sounded almost approving.

"When even gods fear her talons, the best place to be is on her good side." Valim grinned and Finwion laughed.

"Talons?" One of the soldiers approached as the priests tried to slip away.

"Wicked curved blades she carries." Kwes nodded, "They were made by the dwarven god of death as a gift. He's older than Ezphine, the forge goddess, and Lady Rook can kill anything with them. She killed the False Rook and the elven goddess who betrayed her people with them." He bent and pulled the rook's headed blade out of Isca's chest. "This is Lady Rook's boot knife. Isca wasn't worthy of her talons.

"I thought I sent this with my daughter."

The crowd around them began to disperse murmuring amongst themselves.

Valim cleaned his blade on Aderune's robe and looked at the bodies with a frown. "That other one wearing your face gave it to him when they had a conversation about Lady Rook and how she was helping him, or you, come into some kind of power. Said he'd gotten it back out of its hiding place and that it could kill the huntress. All three gods of death had blessed it. What do we do with them?"

"I think we should ask..." Kwes turned to ask Finwion but the elf had vanished. "I was going to say we should ask the clever boy but he's decided to leave.

"Ahevhethrah, is there anything we should do with Isca and Aderune?"

A door opened and he gestured with his head for Valim to follow. He stepped through to the top of the spire with the man on his heels. Ahevhethrah was beaming at him as Finwion gestured broadly.

"Leave them. You did well, both of you."

Syreilla, in new black clothing, was wrapped around Vezar Edra like a vine. Kwes gave the others a baffled look.

"What happened to Syvezar and Vedhethrah?"

"Vezar Edra may split himself as he pleases. He will be given a stone and it will be shared as Atos and Hevtos share one stone." The flame-eyed god's smile faded slightly, "Nimphon will give you a stone when your time comes. Your father should not have raised you among elves."

"I'm glad he did, Grandfather." Kwes stepped closer to offer the god his hand, "You already have a god of thieves and he shares them with my sister. I have a little more room to grow among the elves."

Finwion beamed at him and opened his arms, inviting an embrace.

*Seventy-seven*

Syr pulled herself away from Vezar with a sigh, stealing another kiss as she did. "I have a few things left yet to do, beloved."

"I will help you. You are not leaving my side, my perfect Syreilla."

He tucked her stone into a pocket of his robe that vanished and she resolved to learn that trick.

The other gods came closer as she adjusted her smoky black garments and accepted the boot knife back from her brother.

"That was impressive, Syreilla." Imos smiled warmly. "Your father promised you would give a performance worthy of stories for years to come."

"He'd blister my ears if I didn't." She grinned and stretched, "Can you imagine how sour he'd be, the god of poets, and his own daughter didn't make a spectacle out of her death?" Tsking, she shook her head.

Imos and several of the others broke into laughter. Silfeya, however, gave Ahevhethrah a pointed look and gestured toward her. Syr tilted her head with a mirthless and deliberately too wide grin on her face.

"You'd better thank her before you ask for her to be tethered." Ezphine moved to stand next to Syreilla with a scowl, her hammer still in her hands.

"You could think she wants me to be in a bad mood."

The goddess of harvest and home shuddered, meeting Syr's gaze.

"We are grateful." Eludora stepped forward, smiling brightly, "We all owe you a debt."

"I do have a few things left that need to be done, if anyone wanted to help me with them I would consider it payment or they can just hold onto a favor until I need one or need to pass it to someone else."

"What is left to be done?" Zyulla looked at her curiously.

"I promised Edun that I would get his home back for him and I want to do a little more than that. I want him to be happy-"

"You want to give him a wife." Magpie grinned. "I saw the way you looked at Evecia when I said I was taking them to his farm."

Eludora laughed and looked delighted. "I can help with that, and my daughter can bless them with children."

Silfeya nodded slowly, "I will see to it that their harvests provide them with enough for their family and make their home a warm and welcoming one. If anything needs to be rebuilt my son can see to it and if they should want to bake or brew anything my daughter can lend her talents."

"I appreciate those things deeply." Syr dipped into a bow. "When those I love are happy, I'm happy."