City of the Gods - Starybogow Read online

  City of the Gods - Starybogow - Whispers in the Dark

  Brandon Rospond

  Zmok Books

  City of the Gods - Starybogow

  Whispers in the Dark

  Edited by Brandon Rospond

  ZMOK BOOKS

  City of the Gods - Starybogow: Whispers in the Dark

  Edited By Brandon Rospond

  Cover by Jan Kostka

  Illustrations by I. Bilibin, N. Broot, P. Dobrinina, J. Preston

  Zmok Books an imprint of

  Winged Hussar Publishing, LLC, 1525 Hulse Road, Unit 1, Point Pleasant, NJ 08742

  This edition published in 2016 Copyright ©Winged Hussar Publishing, LLC

  ISBN 978-1-9454301-6-9

  Bibliographical references and index

  1.Fantasy 2. Epic Fantasy 3. Action & Adventure

  Winged Hussar Publishing, LLC All rights reserved

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  Printed in the USA

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  The Editor’s Note

  The world, as it has always been and always will be, is ever changing. The 1500’s were no exception; the world was ripe with upheaval, especially in Europe. The members of the Knights Templar were branded as traitors by the Church and the order was murdered in its entirety. The Slavic people, comprised of the Polish, Ukrainians, Belarusians, as well as traditions of the Lithuanians and the Balts, were called heretics and rooted out by the Inquisition. Pagan gods of ritual and some of sacrifice were replaced with fear from the holy wrath of the one true God.

  But what if there was more to these struggles than what the history books stated? What if these battles were more epic, and that the Slavic people, trying to fight the wave of change, evoked the powers of their Old Gods? They would not be alone in their strange, mystic ways…

  For, you see, the Old Gods have combated a foe darker, viler, and more twisted than any mankind has known. To look upon one of these creatures would drive a mortal crazy and cause them to lose all sense of their humanity. Some call them the Dwellers of the Deep, to others they are the Dark Ones, but to those that know the truth, they are simply called the Eldar Gods; and they move through our human world by utilizing their Servitors to cause chaos among the ranks of humanity.

  From the Baltic Ocean, the Eldar Gods have rooted their tentacles up through the sea and into the ranks of the humans’ ‘noble’ crusaders, the Teutonic Knights. Using ancient powers of magic and manipulation, their corruption runs rampant through the order, even reaching so far as to convert their leader, Grandmaster Frederick von Sachsen, to undertake their vile bidding – to rekindle the Eldar Gods’ powers, long sealed away, back in the realm of mortals.

  Trying to combat this darkness, Alexander Jagellonian, utilizing the resourceful Michael Glinski, leads the Slavic people in reawakening the Old Gods. While the Eldar Gods and their Servitors want nothing but to end humanity and replace it in their likeness, the Old Gods, led by Perun, wish to defend the people of the mortal realm and would see them thrive. Many, but not all, share in Perun’s vision, as there are those Old Gods that are mischievous and have darker intentions, such as the notorious vampyrs, the devilish skrzaks or the unholy drekavacs.

  Ah, but such names must seem foreign to you, in a world where these creatures are nothing but myth. But you needn’t worry about that; our authors have brought life to these beings of dream and nightmare alike to the pages ahead, so that you might better understand the world we have created, centered under the nexus for all of the unfolding events. Once an ordinary port-town, an earthquake hit Starybogow, impacting it in a way where it caused the river to physically move away from where it once flowed. This earthquake, wrought from the opening to another dimension, is the first of many events that change history as we know it!

  Robert E Waters is one of the several visionaries who have helped to mold and shape this alternative universe. Having published many short stories in the past, his most notable works for Zmok include The Wayward Eight as well as “Imperiled in Payson” and “Nation Rising” in the Wild West Exodus Anthology. In Robert’s story, “The Cross of Saint Boniface,” the motley pairing of a Teutonic Knight by the name of Lux von Junker and a Tartar soldier by the name of Fymurip Azat traverse the ruins of Starybogow looking for a sacred cross, long lost to the Teutonic Order, that is said to have holy properties. However, the duo encounter some terrifying obstacles along the way, including a notorious group that would rather have the duo dead than ever recovering the relic; not to mention the strange chemistry between the men of very different walks of life. Will they find the relic that Lux is after, and even if it does exist, will they survive the journey let alone travelling with one another to bring it back to the Grandmaster?

  Veteran author C. L. Werner also joins us in this anthology, bringing his vast knowledge of the time period to the table with his stories, “Blood Bat” and “Hour of the Wolf”. C.L. has published many novels, including several under the Warhammer line; as well as the second Jesse James novel for Wild West Exodus, An Outlaw’s Wrath, and “Brothers in Blood” for the Wild West Exodus Anthology. In “Blood Bat”, we follow a grief-stricken man by the name of Dobrogost Radzienski, who enlists the help of a krsnik by the name of Czcibor Niemczk, to track a vampyr who he believes has taken his daughter. The mystic hunter has great power in his strange gloved hand, but is it enough to take down a vampyr? And what of Dobrogost’s daughter; could she have survived the wrath of such an unholy creature? “Hour of the Wolf” puts us in the point of view of a Freischoffe from Westphalia by the name of Wulf Greimmer, who is on the hunt for a Teutonic Knight who supposedly seduced and killed a young girl, but in search of him sets Wulf in the midst of a Slavic ritual. Can Wulf hunt down his prey and find justice in his actions?

  Michael McCann is a relatively new author who brings his flair for fantasy to this alternative realm of history. Previously with Zmok, McCann published “Hell to Pay” in the Wild West Exodus Anthology, and much like that tale was about strong familial bonds, “Mad Brothers Three” follows the same connection. We follow the story of ‘Wise’ Radomir, Nikola ‘the weapons-master’, and a young warrior named Cyril, as they search for the latter’s fiancé, who has gone missing; whether captured or left of her own free will is what the Mad Brothers are on the hunt to find out. After months of exploring the wider world and tracking every rumor, their journey has brought them to Starybogow. Is Cyril’s fiancé, ‘Sun’, to be found in the mysterious ruins, or are there deeper, darker forces that wait for them?

  Bill Donahue is a new author for Zmok, “The Swamp Hut” being his first published work. He lives on the plains of Missouri where he makes armor and swords in preparation should the Eldar Gods come to pay him a visit. Jan, Jadwiga, and David are three agents that work for Michael Glins
ki and have been sent on a mission to re-establish communications in Starybogow and investigate how the Eldar and darker Old Gods were able to open a portal to the human realm. Guising themselves as tinkerers, they join a caravan heading in that direction, but the trail is plagued with obstacles and their riding allies are insufferable. Will the trio make it to Starybogow in one piece or will the Dwellers of the Deep wrap their tentacles around them and submerge them forever?

  Jan Kostka is an expert on this time period, especially in Polish history, and he is the brains behind the Starybogow universe; without him, none of this would have been possible. Jan works mostly behind the scenes, but his other published work was “Dogs of Law” in the Wild West Exodus Anthology. Having come up with the whole idea of the Old Gods against the Eldar Gods, “A Beginning” sets the scene for what readers can expect in our new timeline. Perun, the ruler of the Old Gods, has come back to the realm of the living, and there is much to be done to stop the Eldar Gods. The other half of the point of view follows a soldier by the name of Damiano Cirrincione, who seems to have a history more rich than even he knows. Meanwhile, “Hallows Eve” follows the exploits of leshiye who guise themselves as priests as they hold the dividing line between the mortal realm and the void. The two stories are intertwined and help to set up the bigger picture of darker things at bay. As it’s been stated, not all that are considered of the old faith strive for the same purpose; there are some that would work with the Eldar Gods to see humanity destroyed.

  Finally, we come to myself. Being the lead editor of Zmok, I have worked with each of these authors to get their stories as amazing as possible for your reading enjoyment. Besides this anthology, I have edited everything under the Zmok imprint; from the Wild West Exodus series, to “All Quiet on the Martian Front”, to the upcoming Gates of Antares Anthology, and even my own fantasy novel, Rebirth of Courage. It has been my great pleasure to work with all of these men and women on all that we’ve published and accomplished over the past few years. That said, I have written three stories for this anthology. Each of them helps to give background on this universe’s factions. “Sworn to Secrecy” and “Strength in Faith” go into the workings of the Hanseatic League and the Knights Templar, respectively, while “Torn Asunder” deals with the repercussions of what can go wrong when one Slavic god rushes to cross the opening void.

  This anthology is only the start to a wide universe, cast under the watchful gaze of the towering ruins where it all begins – Starybogow. The stories within are only a few of the many tales of courageous men and women that try to scour the land in the aftereffects of the quakes that released the gods of both Eldar and Old. Carry on, dear reader, but take caution; you have been warned of the horrors under the nexus of power. Tread lightly as you join our adventurers through the ruins, and be wary of deep waters; you know not what lurks beneath the shadows of the surface.

  Enjoy,

  Brandon Rospond

  Leshy

  by P. Dobrinina, 1906

  A Beginning

  Jan Kostka

  Perun

  by Jeff Preston, 2016

  Two ghastly blue eyes opened and then shut, even though he knew there would be nothing to see. He awoke and drifted off in fits, not knowing how much time passed between each dozing. This time though, Perun was anxious. He stroked his ever-flowing white beard, staring into the blank nothing all around him. Had it been a year, a day, an hour, a millennium that they were stuck in this infinite nothingness? He worried what was happening to humanity. His stone armor was starting to crack and chip, no longer pristine. He picked at the moss that somehow started to coat the armor; how it flourished in the void was a mystery.

  Then again, he eased some of his anxiety remembering that the vilest of the Eldar Gods were of no worry. As long as he and his brethren were sealed away, so were their mortal nemeses. Memories flooded him that felt as if they just occurred yesterday and simultaneously years past, as Perun reflected on his struggles with the dark ones. They waged a millennium-long battle with each other over the fate of the humans; the evil creatures wished to replace the people of the living realm with those of their own design. Perun, along with his many Old God brethren, fought to keep the humans alive; there was a symbiotic relationship between the gods, the humans, and the earth itself. That is why the Eldar race was so dangerous – left to their own devices they did not need humans to sustain themselves. The final battle was fought in a small area in the center of the Slavic nation. It was here that the void was strongest and where Perun had laid the trap. It was a zero sum game, but at least humanity had a chance to survive.

  This void, this prison, was by Perun’s own hands. He had known that the only way to truly win the battle against the Eldar Gods was to have them sealed away in a void for all of eternity; and that sort of magic resulted in himself and his strongest allies being sealed as well. He was thankful that the lesser deities had avoided the entombment, still working among the humans to muster their strength to combat the lesser of the dark ones that still remained as well.

  In the early days of history, the world was a battleground for the gods over humanity. The Elder Gods who arose from the ocean depths would have destroyed humanity and replaced them with beings of their own creation. The gods of the Slavs cared for humanity and the energy they exuded, combined with the life force of the earth, helped to sustain the gods. The Eldar Gods could care less if humans survived. Left to them, they would destroy the earth in a flood and mutate their followers into subhuman slaves. They promised power, but never delivered, and those caught in the net of the Eldar Gods never escaped sane. Rather than see the inevitable destruction of the mortals, the Slavic gods, led by Perun, locked in battle with the Eldar Gods and created a void to trap them both away from humanity. The most powerful of both were locked away to be supplanted by others over time. Some of the lesser deities of both sides remained intertwined with humanity, each trying to amass adherents for the ultimate battle. The Slavic gods left their mark upon some select individuals, and though they might have seemed feeble to the uninitiated, they contained great power; and it was through them that the gods communicated with humans. The Eldar Gods had their adherents as well, bred over centuries and tempted through promises of power.

  Yet, something, at that moment, made him stir within the void like never before. He turned to notice Tłun, one of his closest allies, standing beside him; he seemed just as anxious as his leader, sensing the same feelings he did. Once, Tłun had bushy blond hair, beard and mustache, and radiated light. Now, after all these years, there was very little glow. His hair and beard were matted and his once fabulous clothes were tattered. In his glory days he wore a belted shirt and pants of flax and an over-vest of quilted willow bark. But now all he wore was rags tied in place with hair. In this state, his sharp nose stood out like a beak, highlighted in his own light against his diminished presence. He still showed a sense of pride despite his matted hair and beard, tarnished clothes and axe. His weapon was ornately carved flint, hard as iron that glowed in his hands when he went into battle. Now, it just seemed dull and flaky.

  “Perun, does the boy have the ability? I feel a power; will they open the portal to us again?” His voice lacked the confidence of prior years, sounding hopeful, as forced as that optimism was. Perun just remained there in silence and stared at Tłun, not sure if he should tell his associate what he was thinking or just ignore him. It had been many years since they felt the energy, since the light had faded and they existed here in the void. But then, Perun spoke.

  “The boy that the Grand Duke has found is not the problem. He will get him to the portal as soon as he can. We have waited these many years, we can wait a little more. There are other things at play. Other things that could make our position worse than where we are.” Then he fell silent again. ‘The void’, as it was called, existed in the absence of time as they knew it. Dark, except for the light of blocked portals, it was part misty dream and part nightmare, a black hole in the universe, a
nd they lacked the energy to cross it again to the human world. There were no doubt countless similar voids in existence across space and time, but he shared this one with his brethren – not all of whom he enjoyed. It was a trade-off, themselves for humanity, but there was always hope that humanity could save them without unleashing the others. Until that could occur it would be a stand-off.

  “Worse than where we are? We are in a void,” Tłun thought aloud. “How much worse could it be?”

  *****

  Damiano Cirrincione was glad to finally be in the Serene Republic. Even though he had spent most of his life along the coast and in Cefalu, he was not a sailor. His time at sea was never pleasant and this trip was no exception. It was not a long trip from Sicily to Venice, but Neptune always seemed to conspire against him. A storm had delayed their arrival and prolonged his sickness, but once his ship docked at the custom quay, it was like he was given his freedom from a long prison sentence.

  The letters he carried from his father, and the small amount of money he had managed to scrounge, would allow him to stay out of debt for a while. The word ‘father’ resonated oddly in his head; he was to him, in everything but name – at least a recognized name. Damiano was born ‘on the wrong side of the sheets’, and while his half-siblings enjoyed the status befitting a count, he was held at arm’s length. He was given the same education as his father’s other children, but the count’s wife did not want him there; he was a reminder to her, and thus she seemed to cause trouble for Damiano; not that he needed help – trouble seemed to find him or visa-versa with ease. It did not help that he didn’t even look like his half-siblings; they had dark hair and complexions, while he was fair skinned with bright red hair, making him stand out against the rest of the people in the town.