Page 60 of Goddess of the Broken

As they got closer to the city center, the streets became lined with people. They stood silently as they watched Tempest and her companions pass by.

They were blocked at the palace gates by a mob. At the head of the crowd was a man a head taller than everyone else, wearing a black hooded cloak that hid his face in shadow. As she got closer, Tempest saw that the man’s eyes were glowing a bright red. If she’d had any doubt as to his identity before, it was gone now. This was Aloysius.

“What is going on here?” she demanded. “What have you done?”

Aloysius gave her a cruel smile. “I have taken control of this city,” he said, “and soon, I will take control of the entire realm.”

Kirata stepped forward, ax in hand, but Tempest held out her arm to stop her.

“We can’t let the mortals be hurt,” Tempest murmured. “You and I both know Aloysius will slaughter them without a second thought.”

“You can’t do this, Aloysius,” Aiden announced. “The gods are not permitted to directly affect the land of the mortals.”

Aloysius laughed. “Are you serious?” He pointed towards Tempest. “Tell that to the god who has lived among them for the past five hundred years! I’m sure she never had any influence on their lives.”

“That’s different, and you know it!” Tempest argued.

“Is it? I saw you fighting among mortals on the battlefield, choosing who would win or lose.”

“Only in the warsyoustarted, Aloysius. Besides, I’m not the one who has been taking possession of mortal’s bodies, now, am I?”

Kirata gasped. “You’ve been doingwhat?”

Aloysius tossed one side of his cloak over his shoulder and drew a long sword from his side. “You’re one pathetic goddess of the heavens. Really, you’re all pretty pathetic. Better to replace you than put up with you.”

He charged them, the air crackling around him from the chaotic energy he empowered.

Kirata stepped forward, her ax raised, and at the moment of impact, transported all of them to the middle of the desert with an ability she alone had among the gods. Spent, she dropped to her knees, panting. Aiden rushed in, sword raised, to block a crushing blow from Aloysius aimed to finish the goddess of the heavens.

“You’ve become weak, your majesty,” Aloysius taunted.

Kirata struggled to her feet. “I’ve been imprisoned for a very long time and have not had time to recover fully.”

Tempest summoned Soulshadow and circled behind Aloysius while he was distracted by the other two.

Kirata summoned her flagging energy, and a heavy storm cloud rolled to the middle of the battlefield over them. The cloud was so low that as the thunder crashed, it shook them to their bones. Aiden and Tempest were momentarily disoriented, but Aloysius seemed unaffected. He raised his sword and attacked.

Aiden and Tempest reacted quickly, blocking and parrying his attacks as they tried to create distance between Aloysius and Kirata. But they were quickly driven back; Aloysius was too strong, too fast. How had he managed to endure so many mortal trials and gain so many souls? Tempest wanted to reach out and strip him of them, but the effort would have finished her before it made a big enough difference.

As the battle raged on, Aiden and Tempest started to feel more and more hopeless. Their attacks were having little effect on Aloysius, who seemed intent on destroying them once and for all.

Kirata watched helplessly as the two gods were beaten back. They were no match for Aloysius. The power of the other gods was no match for the god of war head-to-head, and he seemed to have endless reserves of strength.

“We need to try something different,” said Tempest, panting as she swung Soulshadow to block another blow. “There’s no way we can beat him like this.”

Aiden frowned, considering possible strategies in his mind. But just as he was about to speak, Aloysius whirled around them, his sword raised high in the air.

“You can’t escape!” he bellowed, and brought his sword crashing down towards Aiden and Tempest, who had unwittingly been herded together.

The two gods braced themselves, knowing they would not be able to block the blow sufficiently this time. In that instant, it seemed as though all was lost.

Kirata had likewise been thinking of a way to defeat Aloysius, but she could only come up with one idea—she would have to use her own powers, despite her weakened state. Tempest and Aiden would be killed if she didn’t do something. She called on the powers of the sun and the moon and directed a dazzling flash of light at the god of war’s face.

Aloysius was momentarily blinded, and Aiden and Tempest took the opportunity to attack. They drove him back, but he quickly recovered and counterattacked. The three of them fought fiercely, but the gods of souls had undergone fewer mortal trials and were no match for the god of war.

He was about to deliver the killing blow to Aiden when Kirata intervened again. She called on the power of the elements and created a powerful sandstorm.

The sandy vortex appeared in the blink of an eye, and the wind surrounding them became a maelstrom of crescent-shaped dunes and swirling, mountainous blasts of wind that threatened to swallow them all up. The clouds above were darkened by sand and dirt and caked in taupe and amber, the grains falling like rain.

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