Three (The Godslayer Cycle Book 3) by Ron Glick Read Free Book Online Page A

Nathaniel himself had known since they first appeared to him last autumn, but now everyone else knew as well.  They had performed a miracle that could not be explained away, even by the most persistent objections of the priests of the New Order.  And worse, he had become connected to their miracle - everyone knew him now, and it was a degree of fame he was quite uncomfortable with.
    Last autumn, someone had attacked Nathaniel's homestead.  His wife, Mariabelle, had been alone in their shared domicile, and she had lost her life.  He had lost his son, Geoffrey, the same night, having been forcefully taken from where he had been staying in the small community known as Oaken Wood, from the care of their family friend, the dwarf Bracken.  Both Nathaniel's and Bracken's homes had  been lost on the same night, but these were small accounts compared to the death of Nathaniel's wife and the abduction of his son.
    The clear message was that it had been retaliation from the New Order's Goddess Imery, but that had proven to be a misdirection.  Imery had known nothing of the crime - but Nathaniel had taken the Goddess' life all the same.  Even now, with months to reflect upon his actions, Nathaniel could not say whether his actions were driven by grief over his loss or an effort to protect their companion, Brea, who had been under attack from Imery at that moment in time.
    But the Old Gods - or the Pantheon, as they called themselves - had made Nathaniel a promise. They would work towards resurrecting Mariebelle, keep her body safe until her soul could be returned to her flesh.  They had no control over the soul of his wife because she had been a devoted follower of the rival group of Gods known as the New Order, but the Old Gods had believed that they could eventually barter for her soul.  And it was from this promise stemmed the miracle which had come to vex Nathaniel so.
    Nathaniel had never thought to ask how the Old Gods expected to keep a dead body viable, to preserve it so that its soul could be returned one day.  And to be honest, in the months he was away, he had given it next to no thought.  His primary focus had been to track down the ones responsible for taking his son - but this had also been a fruitless endeavor.  He had returned to Oaken Wood just before the heaviest of the snows set in for the season, but he had only returned with himself and Bracken - Geoffrey was still lost, and none had any clue as to where his toddler son could be found.
    All Nathaniel could claim as reward for his travels were two mystical swords - Two , the second of the nine godslayer swords created by the Old Gods in their quest to overthrow the New Order, and the sword from which they had all been forged, First .  Those and their new companion, Brea, the former priestess of Imery, the now-deceased Goddess of Truth.
    Of course, Brea was another matter altogether.  With the death of her Goddess, she should have been rendered powerless, the magic she had drawn upon through the grace of her worship to the Goddess snuffed along with the life of the deity herself.  And yet - Brea had instead begun to exhibit power of her own - independent of prayer, or worship, or devotion.  It was power entirely hers, and it was a source of enigma for everyone, including Brea herself. 
    When the three companions had returned to Oaken Wood, however, none of their trials away from the small community had mattered.  For the small community had become something new in their absence: it had become a mecca of faith, faith long thought lost to the mortals of Na'Ril.  It had only been at the beginning of its ebb at the first heavy snows, but by spring, the pilgrims traveling to Oaken Wood had grown exponentially, and the town was now swallowed on all sides by massive camps of people who had come to see - and many to stay in witness to - the impossible demonstration of divine existence.
    And there was a story that had begun to circulate, as well.  There's