that Julian knew it was the truth.
Kian watched the boy come towards the fire. He stopped and stood just inside the ring of light the flame cast. “Come sit down, Julian. I have a little food you can have.” The boy sat down; he was starving since he hadn’t eaten at all today. He held his hands out to the small blaze the swordsman had built. The evening air was so cold Julian could see his breath.
The fire felt good, its heat making his face almost hot. Without its warmth, the night would have been miserable for him.
Kian leaned over for the small pack and water-skin he carried. His long black hair swung forward and parted exposing his ear. He heard Julian gasp.
“Your ear, it’s pointed,” the boy stammered.
Kian sighed. “Yes, I guess they are slightly pointed.”
“Are you an Elf?” the boy asked wide-eyed.
The swordsman shook his head. “No, I’m not an Elf.”
The boy seemed almost disappointed. “I have never seen an Elf before. The priest in our village said they are nasty creatures and God has no place for them in his heart.”
Kian threw an apple from his pack to the boy. “I’m not an Elf, but my mother was.”
Julian pointed his finger at Kian. “You’re a half-breed, the priest of our church talked about them too. He said that’s even worse than being an Elf. He said it was an abomination before God for a human to breed with an Elf.”
Kian looked at the boy and saw the wonder in his eyes. Kian was a rarity, something not meant to exist, according to the Holy Tome of the human Church; he knew all too well what the world thought of his kind. What the boy had said didn’t anger him; he had heard it all before. Besides Julian didn’t seem malicious just genuinely curious. “Your priest is wrong. I’m just like any other man. No better no worse.”
“I heard all the Elves were gone from the world, except the ones that lived in Sylonia. What are you doing here in Trimenia? What is your name?”
The half-breed smiled in spite of himself. The boy seemed full of questions. “My name is Kian, and what I’m doing here is a very long story.”
“I love stories,” Julian said. “My father would tell us stories every night when I was little.”
He marveled at the boy’s resilience; a few hours ago he had killed his uncle and two cousins, now he wanted Kian to tell him a story. Maybe he hadn’t been that close to them, the swordsman thought, or maybe he was just amazed to see something as unique as a Half Elf. There were very few of his kind in the world, even Kian only knew of one other and that was his twin brother, Tavantis.
“What happened to all the Elves, Kian? My father told me once there were huge numbers of them and they had their own Kingdoms, is that true?” Julian asked scooting a little closer to the half-breed.
Kian took a drink from his water-skin and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I can only tell you what my mother and my master Gildor told me. It was the God of Death, the Reaper, that destroyed the Elven race. No one ever knew why he despised the Elven nation; some said it was a grudge he carried from the dawn of time, others said it was because the Elves would not worship at his altar. Whatever the cause, he wanted to destroy my mother’s people. The Reaper caused the humans of the world to hate the Elves, and he taught mankind the ways of battle. The Death God organized them into a mighty army, the Army of Desolation. He and the humans waged war against the Elven nations for millennia. The Reaper was not content to just defeat the Elves; he wanted to eliminate the entire race.”
“The Elves however were not without great warriors of their own and mages of immense power. They fought back with unheard of courage and valor.”
“Did they win?” Julian asked hopefully.
Kian paused and looked out into the night, then he shrugged. “In the end, who can stand against Death?” Kian rubbed the stubble on his face. He didn’t like talking about the Elven race’s fate, but the boy had asked. “After the Elves were defeated, humans dominated the world and the fearsome God of Death returned to hell. Very few Elves still remained in the world. Without the Reaper to fuel
Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 1 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 2 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 3 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 4 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 5 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 6 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 7 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 8 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 9 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 10 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 11 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 12 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 13 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 14 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 15 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 16 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 17 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 18 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 19 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 20 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 21 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 22 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 23 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 24 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 25 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 26 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 27 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 28 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 29 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 30 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 31 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 32 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 33 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 34 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 35 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 36 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 37 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 38 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 39 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 40 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 41 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 42 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 43 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 44 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 45 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 46 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 47 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 48 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 49 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 50 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 51 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 52 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 53 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 54 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 55 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 56 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 57 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 58 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 59 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 60 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 61 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 62 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 63 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 64 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 65 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 66 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 67 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 68 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 69 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 70 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 71 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 72 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 73 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 74 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 75 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 76 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 77 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 78 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 79 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 80 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 81 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 82 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 83 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 84 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 85 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 86 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 87 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 88 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 89 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 90 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 91 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 92 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 93 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 94 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 95 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 96 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 97 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 98 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 99 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 100 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 101 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 102 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 103 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 104 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 105 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 106 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 107 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 108 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 109 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 110 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 111 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 112 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 113 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 114 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 115 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 116 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 117 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 118 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 119 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 120 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 121 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 122 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 123 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 124 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 125 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 126 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 127 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 128 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 129 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 130 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 131 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 132 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 133 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 134 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 135 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 136 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 137 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 138 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 139 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 140 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 141 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 142 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 143 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 144 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 145 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 146 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 147 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 148 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 149 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 150 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 151 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 152 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 153 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 154 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 155 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 156 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 157 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 158 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 159 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 160 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 161 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 162 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 163 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 164 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 165 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 166 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 167 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 168 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 169 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 170 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 171 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 172 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 173 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 174 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 175 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 176 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 177 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 178 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 179 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 180 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 181 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 182 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 183 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 184 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 185 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 186 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 187 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 188 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 189 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 190 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 191 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 192 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 193 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 194 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 195 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 196 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 197 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 198 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 199 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 200 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 201 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 202 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 203 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 204 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 205 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 206 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 207 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 208 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 209 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 210 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 211 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 212 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 213 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 214 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 215 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 216 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 217 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 218 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 219 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 220 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 221 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 222 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 223 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 224 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 225 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 226 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 227 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 228 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 229 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 230 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 231 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 232 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 233 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 234 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 235 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 236 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 237 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 238 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 239 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 240 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 241 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 242 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 243 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 244 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 245 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 246 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 247 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 248 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 249 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 250 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 251 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 252 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 253 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 254 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 255 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 256 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 257 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 258 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 259 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 260 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 261 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 262 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 263 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 264 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 265 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 266 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 267 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 268 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 269 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 270 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 271 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 272 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 273 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 274 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 275 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 276 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 277 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 278 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 279 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 280 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 281 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 282 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 283 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 284 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 285 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 286 Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler - Page 287