Excerpt Bound Gods 11 (1,100 words) (Patreon)

This is a total first draft *** marks spots for names and of course no read-through has been done so it's super rough.

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“The message was delivered.” Aaron didn’t recognize the god’s voice.

“Did you tell Horus to enclose twice the count on Ambrosia blooms in our next delivery?” Wolf, however, Aaron knew all too well.

“Of course.”

“And?”

“He said it will be at least another week before…”

“A week?” Wolf balled up his fists. “We need those flowers now. There aren’t enough flowers to last us a week.”

The third man was too deep in the shadows for Aaron to identify. “You could always take Aaron back, then there would be more than enough ambrosia.”

Aaron sucked in a breath.

*** tilted his head. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Wolf said.

“I don’t know for sure. Sounded like someone breathing.” *** scanned the room.

“Considering there are three of us in here…”

“No, I mean…” *** shook his head. “Never mind.”

“If Horus can’t deliver, we need another source of ambrosia.” A tall gaunt god with skin so pale it was almost transparent stepped from the shadows.

Aaron had no idea who he was. But there were a lot of gods in Purgatory, he could have easily missed him.

“You could take back that Doxie you gave to Taurus.” the god said.

“We may have a substantial number loyal to Wolf,” *** said. “We’ll never stand a chance as long as they remain loyal to the cow-man and Malum.”

“We’d also risk giving that beast a reason to break his oath.” Wolf appeared and disappeared from behind the edges of the crack Aaron stopped over. “*** is right. We can’t risk taking a Doxie.”

Some tension left Aaron’s frame. At least the Doxies wouldn’t have to worry about being stolen.

For now.

“Then unless you can use some of that charisma of yours to convince one to come to Purgatory of his own free will, the others will become desperate for ambrosia.”

And desperation leads even the most gentle gods into madness.

“What about Yeetavik?” *** said. “We could contact him. Call in on the favors he owes you.”

“Maybe if Yeetavik hadn’t tried to betray Horus,” *** said.

“What?” Wolf stopped pacing.

“There are rumors among Yeetavik’s Oiums that he tried to betray Horus and Horus…” *** shrugged. “Let’s just say it didn’t go well.”

“Yeetavik isn’t that stupid.”

Off to the right, a scaled shoulder with bulging muscle. Aaron didn’t need to see ***’s face. The unique pattern of stripes had allowed him to stand out in the crowded library where Taurus had taken Aaron to serve any god willing to pledge allegiance to him.

And here *** spoke to Wolf.

“Even if he acquired a way to make him the most powerful god on the planet even without control of the Isati.”

Wolf stopped mid-step. “What are you talking about?”

“They said Yeetavik captured a Titan.”

“Titans only exist in stories.” Wolf said it with desperation rather than stating it as fact mid-step

“Horus believed it enough to turn Yeetavik’s compound to dust and slaughter most of his loyalists.” *** sad.

The man in the shadows spoke. “Might explain why he was stupid enough to try and usurp Horus.”

Wolf ran a hand through his hair. “And Horus took the Titan from Yeetavik.”

Aaron couldn’t be sure if it was a question.

Movement. A sigh. The man with pale skin lifted his chin. “The goddess doesn’t think so. And she gains nothing by lying to us.”

A goddess was spying for Wolf? Why? Why would any goddess spy for a god? Let alone one who’d been sentenced to eternity in Purgatory.

“And what did she say?” Disdain dripped from Wolf’s question.

“That Horus took a helicopter to *** and came back missing a lot of men. He hasn’t even spoken about it and his mood hasn’t been exactly welcoming either.”

Wolf laughed a little. “Then it got away.”

“My guess would be yes.”

Wolf returned to pacing. “Who have we got left on the outside?”

“Not many. Most have gone into hiding since the Stone God made his appearance.”

“Fuck.” Wolf ran his hand through his hair making his bangs stand on end. “Malum was bad enough. The last thing we need is Marud added to the mix.”

“There’s still the politician,” *** said.

“And he’s a mortal.” The man in the shadows shifted his weight putting him close enough to the light to illuminate his citrine eyes.

“A mortal with a lot of influence,” *** said. “If we convince him to push people to rise up against Alton then...”

“You’d have nothing but dead bodies lining the street.” The god’s citrine eyes flashed to crimson.

“No, ***’s right,” Wolf said. “If we play our cards right we can use *** to provide us with a distraction.”

“You mean a war.” *** didn’t sound pleased with the idea.

“If that's what it takes.” Wolf, however…

“That’s a very foolish venture.”

“Just a moment ago you didn’t think mortals were capable of getting the upper hand over a god.”

“A mortal. One. When you add thousands, if not hundreds of thousands…” The god with citrine eyes growled under his breath. “Once there are that many. Once you set them loose. You won’t be able to control them.”

“All I need to do is point them in the right direction then set them loose. Much like Isati, they will burn it all to the ground.”

“What about Horus’s plans?” *** said. “You get in the way and he might decide to flood this place with Isati and kill us all.”

“Then I guess we better make sure he doesn’t find out until we’re ready to move.”

“And in order to do anything we need ambrosia,” *** said.

Wolf tensed. “Where is the Sphinx right now?”

“Pretty sure Horus has one of the three parts in his compound.”

“And the last one?”

“He was at Yeetavik’s compound when it was destroyed.”

Wolf cursed.

“Then he could be dead,” *** said.

“Don’t be a fool.” Wolf sneered. “If he was dead, they’d all be dead.”

“You sure about that?”

“They are the same person. If one-third of them was dead, they’d all be dead. So yes. I’m sure.” Wolf jerked his chin at the god with citrine eyes. “Go to the Sphinx and find out where his third is located. Have him contact the goddess. Tell her to send ambrosia.”

“How is she supposed to do that? She can’t go to Horus or he’ll suspect we’re planning something. And she can’t go to Alton and he controls the stores?”

“Then I guess she’d better get creative because it would be terrible if it got out to the others that one of their own was about to betray them in the worst way.”