Chapter 32

The 85th had taken a detour. They were headed to Nunnehi because that was where they hoped to thwart Sutekh - their enemy. However, Eros had made them journey three days south, not east, with the aim being to reach Vidura's Waterfall. He'd been reticent as to why. Typhon and Sabriel thought the detour was attributed to the revelation that Astraea was a sorceress, but both knew that really Eros hadn't been himself since the battle at Daoine Maithe's. They therefore concluded that the trip was somehow tied up with those events.

"This is magnificent," Aurora's eyes poured over the gorgeous landscape while she stood in her saddle. "In the palace library there is a most heavenly portrait by Constantine Genesis, but it is a mere speck upon what I now see before me."

Skoll said, "I've never laid eyes upon anything so beautiful."

The princess and the others rode across the valley of Vidura, an ancient goddess. The fields were full of grass, flowers and trees. Life blossomed in all corners and, not far away, the magnificent waterfall towered - pouring water into a tremendous basin. It was a biblical garden.

"My tutor said that the waterfall is really a gateway between worlds. One ascends to heaven, and descends to hell. Demons and angels are said to be inside, at this very moment, sorting out souls together."

Sabriel spoke from behind, "Your highness is a fine student." The princess turned and looked upon Sabriel's benevolent face before returning to gaze upon the gargantuan waterfall - immortalized in great portraits by the ancient masters Shiva, Petrosian and Harshal.

Eros said, "Odin believes they're here." It was the first time he'd said anything about their purpose in being there.

Typhon said, "Everytime we pass this way--"

"You mention them." Sabriel finished.

"Is that why we've come?"

Eros moved to speak, but halted himself. With effort he tried again, "Thanatos and I vowed that we would seek out the swords of Fate and Destiny, and with them protect Lucretia." Eros moved his hand to the bare scabbard.

"I am at a total loss." Aurora was bemused.

"Once, when the gods were young, the lord of the underworld challenged the lord of the heavens for dominion over Lucretia. The challenge was accepted. Each side selected a champion who was armed him with a weapon worthy of them. They both forged a sword - one in heaven; one in hell.

The two champions were brothers named Fate and Destiny. The former fought for the underworld, the latter the heavens. Angels and demons watched as Destiny slayed his brother; but, unable to reconcile the guilt of killing his brother, he took his body together with the swords, and sealed himself away in the bosom of Eternity."

"And you believe these ethereal swords are here." Aurora laughed. "It's nonsense of course?"

"Until recently you believed the sorceri extinct your highness."

"I'd forgotten about it for a moment."

Eros suddenly became distracted. "It's him." He pointed to a shadow in the sky that soared close to the 85th's position before setting a direct course for the waterfall.

In one bound Eros was upon his horse, and in the next moment he was in hot pursuit of Sutekh. "There can be no doubt now," he soliloquized. Pounding hooves sounded behind him; the others were not far away.

Astraea customarily drew up the rear, where she was presently thinking that the actions of her master had been ill thought out, and precipitous of late. She wondered about the teta a tete rendezvous, and why he now exposed himself to danger in broad daylight. Unable to understand, and with an ill feeling in her gut, she followed the others.

Eros strained his eyes to see the crusader responsible for the burning of the villages, and the fire in the temple. In the distance he'd landed, and was now bent over, fumbling at the base of the waterfall. Eros hastened on, opening a lead on the others. He sat back in his saddle when the colossal veneer of rock broke at the centre, when the ground shook as if plagued by a thousand earthquakes, when a deep baritone of rock falling sounded in his ears. The waterfall was a great door, which Sutekh had disappeared inside of.

Chapter 33

Astraea stood in the cavern where only a thin layer of crystal separated the soles of her feet from the darkness below. She ran her slender hands across the wall, 'It's the rock from my dreams.' Her cheeks coloured. Eros, meanwhile, beckoned for the others to follow closely.

The cave was a perennial labyrinth beneath the crusts of Lucretia. The knight felt in a daze; they all did. In a trance like state they walked through the dark passages of time until at last they rounded a corner that led into a grand chamber. Lord Sutekh stood beneath a spectral light amidst two tombs. The rest of the chamber was empty - encased in an eerie rock. The air seemed different to breathe, and it was as if they had left the world they knew behind, and stepped into another dimension.

Sutekh was not the same as he was in previous encounters. Before, he'd always been of a confident mien, almost audacious in his endeavours, but now he stood hunched over a sarcophagus. He appeared half mad with a dishevelled robe, and a strong body that moved awkwardly. Eros deduced the truth - the man was desperate.

Lord Sutekh's hands delved deep into the grave, pulling out a sword. The blade was long and thin with a black hue. The hilt was of elegant silver, and the pommel was made entirely of a red emerald crystal that radiated raw magical energy down the blade. Sutekh stood back, gazing upon it while he mumbled to himself like a mad professor who'd discovered a magnificent formula.

"Montalais, isn't it?" Eros's words were bereft of vigour and vitality. "What a treasure you've found." Sutekh glanced across the tomb at Eros.

"I saw through you at Cannered-Noz. I felt the strength of your iron wrist, and your inexorable will. It grieves me to think that it's come to this."

Sutekh lowered his head, and slowly nodded. He raised his hand to the clasps, where he unclipped them. With one hand he pulled the mask from his face, and dropped it to the floor.

Sabriel brought both hands to cover her mouth; Typhon took a step forward incredulously.

"It can't be." Typhon appealed to Eros.

Sabriel uttered, "Thanatos?"

Of course Sutekh was Thanatos, how could it not be? Only he could be so bold, arrogant, and debonair. His actions were exactly like the man who once stared down the throat of the Lemurian army, and said, "I dare you." The unknown that proclaimed himself Lord Sutekh was non other than Thanatos, Eros's oldest friend.

Astraea looked upon the face of the man she loved for the first time. Her heart fluttered, while her mind raced to the mansion, to the many conversations where he, yes he, refused to gaze upon her without his mask parting them, citing that he was deformed. He wasn't deformed. She looked at his handsome face; he couldn't have been thirty, dark and rugged; his eyes were like jewels. A tear rolled down her cheek, so her Sutekh was Thanatos, the man whose death tore away at Eros.

"But he died," Sabriel said as she recollected that dashing young man from Class 2A, "Thanatos died."

"Maybe he did die that day," Eros said dryly.

"How dare you!" Thanatos shook. "I was buried alive - alone. You left me there." The blow was well aimed because all these years Eros had carried the guilt of Thanatos's death.

"I remember you," the princess perceived the pain manifest on Eros's face, and took the opportunity to obtain her own answers, "You saved me – I watched from the palace. You fought in the courtyard, and, with a handful of men, held the Lemurian infantry, cannon, and cavalry." She paused recollecting the events. "But you died fighting Aavak."

Thanatos looked upon his princess, "I did die. Rock crushed me; but I was given a second chance at life."

Eros's reverie was broken; his eyes snapped back to life, focusing upon Thanatos who felt the burning interrogation, "You didn't."

"I was scared, frightened, what would you have done?"

"I would have said no." Eros hated Thanatos for what he'd done; he hated himself more for feeling glad that he was alive.

"The devil had a task. In me he saw one who could see it accomplished. That's all."

Eros tried to make sense of it in his mind - the unknown with a penchant for ancient trinkets was his old friend trying to save his life. Eros had moved on from that ill fated day, but Thanatos hadn't – couldn't – he was still paying the price.

"What task?"

"He wants," Thanatos looked to Astraea who struggled to play the role assigned to her, to not rush over to Thanatos and embrace him as she desperately wished, "He wants the sorceri dead. He hates them passionately." Astraea's heart stopped, Sutekh, that is to say Thanatos, had not formerly spoke of this. It was a blow she hadn't reckoned upon; she trusted him.

Eros asked, "Why does Bahamut want them dead?"

Thanatos laughed a despairing laugh; the torments of sleepless nights revealed themselves. He paced back and forth - his mask crushed under his step. "You remember the tale of Fate and Destiny I'm sure." Eros couldn't help but smile. Thanatos said, "Well there's more than Odin told us."

"What are you talking about?"

Thanatos hovered in the tomb, "We know Fate fought Destiny to decide who would govern Lucretia, but we were never told why this duel came about, only that the young gods in their passion decided it. Well I learned why: it was because of a woman."

Gods were still men.

"Her name was Palaestra. She had long dark hair, red lips, never had there been such a beautiful woman. But she had a black heart. Her life was one of seduction, murder and betrayal." Thanatos paused, "Death – however – is the great leveller, and the treacherous Palaestra was sent to hell where a young god reigned: Bahamut. He saw her saunter across the underworld, and fell in love.

Another god, meanwhile, looked down from heaven. Bellerophon wanted her also, but hell was not a place he was allowed to go. He was a young god, and he loved her. Bellerophon travelled to the underworld; he entered Bahamut's fortress by night where Palaestra lay alone in bed. She awoke to a god whose body was as if chiselled from marble. She didn't protest when he led her away.

Bahamut finding his chamber empty, his queen gone, realised that only one had the power to take her from him. Livid and enraged, he challenged Bellerophon to a duel for control over all Lucretia, and more importantly, for the hand of Palaestra. The two young gods selected their champions, and forged two swords. Thus it was that Fate and Destiny fought their duel."

Eros didn't move, he listened. Whatever was going on, it was far more complicated than he realised. Thanatos continued to recount what he'd learned, "Palaestra feared Bellerophon's favourite, Destiny, because he saw through her. She had to act while he was away fighting, so, coveting the throne with a heart that could never be satiated, she seduced Bellerophon, and while he lay vulnerable, she stuck a dagger up to the hilt in his immortal chest.

Destiny returned victorious, but when he went to give the news to the king, he found his sanguinary corpse, and a laughing witch crouched over him, bathing in his blood. His wrath was swift, severing Palaestra's head from her shoulders. She died in the afterlife, which meant her soul dissipated into the abyss – lost forever.

The Seraphim's named Destiny Bellerophon's successor. His first duty was to decide what was to be done with the daughter of Bellerophon and Palaestra. It reminded him too much of its mother, so he cast the baby out of heaven to the world below.

Meanwhile, betrayal ate away at Bahamut, he only had vengeance in his heart. He saw what passed in the heavens, and watched as the child went to Lucretia where the people termed it a sorceress. He thought them abominations, and vowed to end the bloodline. He corrupted men, influenced circumstance, despatched demons all to this end and I, am his most recent agent." Thanatos's eyes settled upon Astraea, tears streamed down her cheeks because even for a woman of her strength it was impossible to hide the emotions she felt inside. Eros turned to perceive her tremulous figure; he grasped her hand, and squeezed it tight.