The Crippled God

commanding the assault. The enemy beyond the breach was surprisingly weak—’
    ‘Weak, Lord?’
    ‘I will accept bold words from you, brother, but not outright rudeness.’
    ‘Sorry, Lord.’
    ‘Weak. Indeed, it seems they are not even true Shake. Devoid of Tiste blood entirely. It is my thought that they are mercenaries, hired because the Andii now in Kharkanas are too few to personally oppose us. In fact, I now believe that the Shake are no more. Gone, like a nightmare before the dawn.’
    ‘They fought surprisingly well for mercenaries, Lord.’
    ‘Humans are like that, brother. Decide on something and there’s no moving them. You have to cut down every last one of them. Until not one is left breathing.’
    ‘The surest way to win an argument,’ Aparal commented.
    Kadagar reached over and gripped his upper arm. ‘Better! Return to the living, old friend! Today, we shall gain the Shore. Tonight, we shall dine in the High Palace of Kharkanas!’
    ‘Lord, may I descend to take command of the legions?’
    ‘Go, brother! You shall see me soon enough, flying above you.’
    Aparal hesitated. ‘Lord, might I speak one last word of advice?’
    Kadagar’s face clouded, but he nodded.
    ‘Do not be the first of our Thirteen through the breach. Leave that to Iparth Erule, or one of his sisters.’
    ‘But why?’
    ‘Because the enemy knows that we are here. Soletaken or true Eleint. They will have plans to deal with our eventual arrival, Lord. Use Erule to discover it. We cannot risk losing you, Son of Light.’
    Kadagar’s pale eyes searched his, and then he smiled. ‘Friend, it shall be as you say. Go now.’
    Father Light, is this what you want? What was in your mind when you walked out from the city, through the gate that would be named forthe day of your wedding, for your procession’s path into the realm of Dark? Did you ever imagine that you would bring about the end of the world?
    Take the Sceptre in hand. Walk to the Throne. There is an old saying: every crown leaves a circle of blood. I always wondered what it meant. Where was that circle? Surrounding the one now ruling, or closer still, like razors against the brow?
    Aparal Forge walked along one verge of the blood path. He could have veered into his dragon form. He could have wheeled out from the high wall and in moments settled before the breach, those old scattered stones of the toppled edifice, with all the joyous carvings. But what would that be saying to his warriors? You are indeed led by dragons, by the blood-tainted, by the devourers of Kessobahn . But was he not Tiste Liosan? I am. For now, for as long as I can hold on. And I’d rather show them that. I’d rather they see me, here, walking .
    The soldiers were ready. He could see as much. He sought to draw strength from them, reassurance, all the confidence he would need to in turn command them. As they in turn did when seeing him.
    I must speak to them. Fashion words. What shall I say? Mercenaries await us. Humans. They can be broken, for their will has been bought, and if it is to be something to bargain with, like a comforting robe, then that will cannot be worth much, when all comfort vanishes. No, make it simpler. Tell them that coin cannot purchase righteousness. Against our will the humans shall falter .
    We must simply push hard enough for long enough .
    Speak with confidence, yes .
    And then I will think of loves lost, to empty out all the places inside me. Ready to be filled with fury and desire .
    The Liosan knew enough about humans. Through the piercing of the veil such as a priest or mage occasionally achieved, they had ventured into human worlds. ‘Testing the notions of justice’, as one old scout had once said. Small parties, of aimless purpose or singular intent. Journeying often enough for these explorers to return with knowledge of the strange, weak but profligate human creatures. Short-lived and truncated of thought. Incapable of planning ahead beyond a few years at most, and more commonly barely capable of thinking past a mere stretch of days.
    There were always exceptions, of course. Great leaders, visionaries. Tyrants. But even among them, the legacy they sought was more often than not a selfish one, the private glory of immortal notoriety or fame.
    Pathetic.
    As he approached the breach, Aparal wondered whether there was agreat leader among these humans, these mercenaries. It was of course possible, but he doubted it.
    The once glorious gate had been