The Slayarians - Book One - JM Barnes (different e readers txt) 📗

PROLOGUE


This is how it began…
The world awoke to the sounds of war and its very essence arose from its fiery center to look upon its surface. Thus was born the personification of life. Its power was all and its knowledge was all encompassing. It had planned on sleeping until the first forms of life began but that had changed. Upon its surface it found a veritable horde of otherworldly beings that had taken it upon themselves to set up their own environment on Earth. As the All of life looked on it learned that it had been invaded by beings not so unlike itself, except for one important difference.
It sensed the level of power those beings held was not as strong as its own. Immediately it recognized that the reason for this was because this world was not their place of origin. Here, its will was all. Knowing this and seeing the violent and chaotic personalities of its visitors life knew that something must be done. Life had plans, you see. It had already decided upon the forms the creatures of Earth would take and they would not be able to survive in the same environment as that which these brutal alien gods had created.
Earth was subject to the laws of the cosmos though. There must be a balance in all things. If life was beauty and unending energy then there must be an opposing force. This force took on the myriad forms of what would later be known in history as the elder gods. Beings like Chthon and Tiamat and several others better left unmentioned. Their corrupt natures were spawned from countless other worlds, lured to Earth by inner yearnings for power as well as revenge against one another. These beings had used the newborn planet as a battleground, warping benign races from other worlds into demonic and horrid monsters that fought their wars for aeons.
That is, until the embodiment of life decided to interfere. Giving itself a name, Gaea, and appearing as the immaculate image of what it felt would be the most suitable, a human woman, Gaea became involved in the wars. Using fragments of her essence she created the first gods among the earthly pantheons and sent them forth. Time passed quickly and the world had reshaped itself to what she had planned. The elder gods were helpless to stop it and could only throw tantrums as their landscapes were torn asunder and made habitable. Their forces were pushed back to the most remote corners where life had yet to take shape and their battles grew more infrequent and less disastrous.
All of Gaea’s children tended the life that formed on her surface and fought battle after battle against the hordes of the elders. Foremost among those gods was one group of godlings she held dearest to her heart. They were known as the Godchildren of Gaea and these she kept as the caretakers of a special race of mortals. A race devoted and created specifically for the wars against the servants of the elder gods. Long before the first histories were written they became known as the Demonslayers. They were beings created from the essences of every other living creature of good. They possessed Elven compassion and intelligence, Dwarven will and fortitude, Human adaptability and curiosity and many, many more.
All of these attributes combined would create the most respected and feared race of men ever known or ever to be known. They would cause the closing of the gateways created for the elder gods and their servants all over the world. They would send the demons screaming and begging into their only haven, the Abyss.
With the portals closed the elder gods would be at an extreme disadvantage. They couldn’t move their armies or bring in any reinforcements. Gaea was pleased. Soon she was also known by another name, Astnalia. By this name she was known by her children as the All Mother. Indeed she was the mother of Zeus, Odin, and of Osiris and of every god or creature under them.
Pleased with the success of her brood and the true course of her plan she then took her beloved pantheon with her to another plane, a plane that was far from Earth, yet from which they could still observe and aid their subjects. Left to their own designs the remaining gods went about claiming their own realms.
Mighty Zeus led the taking of Olympus from the titans while Odin’s predecessors defeated the evil Ymir and Surtur in the first settling of Asgaard and many other battles were fought. Many elder gods were destroyed along with scores of the Earth’s gods. Still, many more were born as the Earthly deities discovered they had the power to create. So as the planes were taken and controlled by the many pantheons they then turned their attentions to the inhabitants of Earth.
As they spread their influence and laws time passed and they became full of themselves and disdainful of the idea that even they were ruled by a higher power. They hadn’t seen or heard from the All Mother or her mysterious pantheon in eons. Surely they’d moved on and no longer looked upon the world.
Surprisingly, this was part true. They had indeed moved on. Astnalia and each of her seven gods had long before the creation of the other gods or of sentient and non-sentient life, found a world that was ancient when Earth was yet newly formed. This world was called Kole. Much larger and already populated with multitudes of races and elder gods, this world was a universal proving ground. Having helped bring relative peace to Earth, the mother and her seven Godchildren focused their attention there. In truth Astnalia could never wholly leave for she was in essence the very world itself, and the seven always kept constant vigil over their special flock on Earth. They merely sought a place where they might perhaps grow in power away from the petty bickering of the rest of Earth’s pantheons.
Yet, there was a major problem. The elder called Chthon was the supreme power on Kole and he remembered well his defeat on Earth by Astnalia and her treasured children. He allowed them to find a place on his world but would never let them rest. Thus the war was rejoined. Astnalia’s children went about finding new subjects. Races they could instill with the characteristics of the Demonslayers. This was not difficult for there were many godless people whose gods were banished from Kole or had been slain.
Still, Astnalia’s children were at a disadvantage. With their power based on Earth they couldn’t bring their true force to bear. Their true forms on Earth, lesser aspects on Kole, and only a tenuous gateway between the two, their power was spread too thin in the end. As soon as Chthon discovered the gateway it was sundered. Astnalia’s children on Earth were separated from their lesser forms on Kole and underwent a great tumult because of the sundering. If not for the All Mother they would have been driven mad with rage and grief, because all of the eight gods, Astnalia included, knew their aspects on Kole would likely be irrevocably changed or completely driven insane by the separation. Weakened by the sundering they were forced to forget Kole and rest in their home plane on Earth.
For a long time they dwelled away from other pantheons and concerned themselves only with defending Earth from the Elder Gods and their minions. This they did well and without ever considering treachery. Especially from their own brethren in Olympus or Asgaard. Knowing Astnalia and her brood were weaker now, Chthon began a new campaign on Earth of turning the pantheons against them. A whisper here or a pointing finger there, or even a viscious attack upon a lesser pantheon by Chthon’s servants, which was for the sole purpose of blaming Astnalia’s children. No god would ever attack or accuse Astnalia for she was purity and goodness personified. Her seven champions were another matter. Was it not they who drew Astnalia away from the others? Was it not they who took most of the glory for the defeat of the elder gods? It was they who stood between them and the sweet All Mother’s attentions, thus taking away any chance for gaining more power for deeds appreciated.
Yes, these insecurities served Chthon well. Soon he would cause an attack that would spell the end for Astnalia’s favored and toll the doom of all of Earth’s protectors, but first and at last, the Demonslayers.
A concerted approach by the most powerful of Earth’s gods would ensue. Before Gaea the gods made their accusations and even though the All Mother knew they were false she could not convince the accusers. The accusers soon became enraged and the Godchildren would not consider being punished by the misled and struck out. This, to the accusers, proved their guilt and a great battle ensued. Each side pleaded to Gaea to choose a side, which she would never do. As her children fought she wept, and with her despair she fashioned a realm at the bottommost pit of the Abyss. There she sent her Godchildren and made to the accusers appear as if they’d won. Thus saving all of her children, she once again retreated.
Now, with the Godchildren of Gaea in hiding and the other gods preoccupied with their own pomposity, Chthon would strike. His main goal, destroy the Demonslayers. With them gone his minions would have free reign on Earth. With their gods destroyed he could call forth a return of the other elder gods. His wars would resume and his revenge would be taken against his elder nemesis. While on Earth he would become the All god and the pantheons would kneel to him and him alone.


CHAPTER 1
AWAKENING


“Well boy, I suppose that is all we can do for you but we think you should stay the night and get you’re rest.” Said Niryni. She was the eldest of the gathered wives who had come running to help when they heard about the accident and the injured young man. Her chubby face glistened from the sweat she’d shed in his name. He hugged her again and he felt light headed as he sunk into her embrace.
None knew him but more than one already had the thought of introducing the handsome young fellow to their eldest daughter. Niryni had a leg up on the others already. Her daughter, Refiette, had come with her to the scene and was clearly admiring the boy. He was over six feet tall and his skin was darkened by the sun. His