Free Chaosmage by Stephen Aryan

that he’d witnessed before the war, the established faiths no longer seemed to intimidate or impress him as they once did.
    The priests’ devotion to the Lady of Light was very different from what he remembered seeing a few years ago. Now the Lord of Light was rarely mentioned and his companion had become dominant in the church. Tammy had told him that those priests from the church of the Holy Light who were more interested in getting rich and doing little real work, had all but disappeared. Now those who followed the Lady of Light could be found in some of the worst places in every city, offering comfort to the poor, the diseased and the dying. The churches had become refuges where every coin donated was spent on helping clothe, feed and support people, not lining the coffers. The priests on board ship had not completed the Iron Challenge or taken the Long Walk, but nevertheless they’d endured a crucible of the soul, as each had haunted eyes as if they carried the weight of many. As someone who had enough demons of his own, Balfruss did his best to avoid long conversations with them. Nevertheless he could respect their dedication, even if he didn’t want to spend too much time with them.
    The only exception was the lone plague priest, a blond - haired man called Kai. He had a dark sense of humour and sarcastic tongue, which meant he also spent much of the voyage alone. Balfruss thought himself a decent student of history, but he’d never heard of Akharga. Kai assured him that it was a very old religion, with its roots in some of the earliest records, but with no way to check, Balfruss had to take him at his word.
    The sound of raised voices brought Balfruss’s thoughts back to his surroundings in the garrison, where the Shael guards were drawing their weapons. He looked across the room at Tammy and raised an eyebrow, but she shook her head and gestured for him to stay put while she investigated. A few minutes later she returned with a haggard Shael warrior he’d not seen before. The relief in the room was palpable and Balfruss saw the guards relax at the newcomer, who had to be their Captain.
    Every Shael warrior in the garrison was lean with a gaunt face, but the Captain made them all look fat by comparison. His grey hair was cut close to his scalp and the white stubble on his face did nothing to hide the deep hollows of his cheeks. His deep purple eyes sparkled with so much vitality they looked out of place in such a weathered face.
    â€œI’m Captain Rees,” he said, sitting down with a grunt of relief. “I know that you’ve come a long way, but before you decide to venture into Voechenka, I think you should know what awaits you.”
    â€œAny information would be appreciated,” said Tammy, declining the offer of a drink. One of the guards brought a modest plate of food for the Captain, who started to eat with vigour. His armour was still covered with dust as he’d come straight from the saddle to see them. He smelled of horse, leather and stale sweat, but there was no pageantry out here on the edge of the world.
    â€œThere’s no law in the city any more,” said Rees around a mouthful of beans. “It wasn’t always that way, but you’re not interested in history. The only rule in the city is that of survival. The strongest, cruellest and most cunning survive. All others are grist for the mill. The meek and the pious were among the first to die. The rest enslave themselves in different ways in return for protection.” Rees tore off a chunk of bread and dipped it into the gravy on his plate. He chewed slowly as if thinking, but Balfruss could see he was savouring every mouthful. “If you go into Voechenka and get into trouble, no one will come in to help. My orders are to wait three weeks and if you don’t emerge by then, you’ll be declared dead. Word will be sent back to your families.”
    Rees looked up from his plate for the