Reborn And Chosen By Three Gods

Chapter 5

In Alex's next coherent moment, he realized he was outside, naked, covered in blood, dirt, and worse things as he sat on his butt on the dusty ground of a small courtyard. The shredded bodies of at least five men were scattered around the small space. One man had been thrown through a heavy door that hung crookedly from its top hinge. The exit led out of the courtyard into the street beyond.

  The body piercing the shattered door wore a red vest.

  He heard whimpers coming from behind him and turned to see four naked people, blindfolded and gagged, sitting in the dust as he was but huddled together a few feet away. He turned his head in the opposite direction to see a small home with its door and frame exploded outward from the wall. Inside was another gruesome slaughterhouse. More bodies in various states of dismemberment.

  Glancing up, he estimated it was sometime past noon, but he was unsure how long he'd been unconscious in the basement cell.

  Was it still his first day on this planet?

  He heard a shout behind him coming from the broken door to the street. Alex turned his head and saw two men wearing armor and carrying swords like knights. They pulled the busted door outside and froze when they saw the carnage in the courtyard.

  One of the knights called out to him. "You! The beast who made the terrible screams and did this, is it still present? Is it inside the building?"

  He looked at them blankly and shook his head. Timidly, the knights made their way further into the courtyard, stepping over the gore. They scowled the moment they saw the slaves.

  Two more knights arrived, and one left at a run to fetch their commander.

  That seemed like a good idea.

  -=-

  A few hours later, Alex found himself sitting in a chair before a desk in a nicely appointed office. He was wearing a new tunic and sandals set from the Cathedral. He'd been allowed to wash and dry himself, so he was finally free of the blood and gore he'd been covered in earlier.

  He'd also been given water to drink and food to eat and was holding three chits (one per tattoo) for the Adventurer's Guild. The chit he received at the temple was long gone. So was the old temple worker who'd given it to him. He'd obviously been working with the slavers and fled the temple before he could be taken into custody.

  The office belonged to the Commander of the Genthale Knights, which Alex took to mean the city police force.

  They knew he was a new arrival, and it was this morning when he'd woken in the catacombs.

  They'd received a report about Alex from Baxly, the younger cathedral worker who'd found him.

  The knights also knew he'd arrived after sunset the previous evening, outside the normal arrival time.

  They were aware he'd been captured by slavers, a gang they'd been trying to locate.

  What Commander Thestree Silvain, seated behind his desk, wanted to know now was how he freed himself.

  Alex's memories of the event were chaotic and disturbing, so he was little help with that question.

  The slaves from the cells in the basement where he'd originally woken up were alive but weren't talking. They were too disturbed by what they saw after the rough treatment from the slavers. The shackles he'd been wearing were a twisted mess, as were the bars on his cell.

  The blindfolded slaves in the courtyard hadn't seen anything, though they were terrified by what they heard.

  None of the slavers or their guards survived to give statements.

  So here Alex sat, waiting with the Commander for the head of the Adventurer's Guild to arrive. Silvain, a Human with greying black hair and perhaps in his fifties, had seen the marks of three Gods on Alex's lower back, which was unprecedented. He wanted explanations from someone who was an expert.

  There was a sharp knock on the door, which opened to show the Commander's secretary. "Guild Master Harkentoll, sir!"

  The Commander gestured for the secretary to show their guest in.

  Alex stood and got his first look at a Dwarf from this world as the man strode into the room. His first impression of the man was that he was probably very strong. He also wasn't as diminutive as expected, standing just under five feet tall. He had broad shoulders, a barrel chest, thick arms and legs, with big hands and feet in open sandals.

  His hair was grey and tied back in a ponytail bound with multiple metal bands. His beard reached the dome of his stomach and hosted a few braids with smaller metal bands to keep it orderly.

  The man's blue eyes held keen intelligence and a spark of interest as he looked into Alex's.

  "Greetings, Commander. Is this the new arrival who received a surprising number of blessings?" he said, and Alex couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his lips. The man's voice was as strong as he appeared and gravelly.

  Silvain frowned and nodded. "Yes. Alex Frost. He says he arrived last night."

  Blue eyes flicked to the Commander, and the man nodded. "I confirmed with the Temple staff that he was delivered after sunset last night."

  The Dwarf's sharp gaze returned to Alex and a small smile appeared at the edge of his mouth. "One anomaly after another. Which Gods?"

  Silvain sighed wearily. "Agron. Ullentra. Ffornexa."

  Now the Dwarf went still, then peered at Alex very closely.

  Alex simply gazed back as no one had explained the significance of these names.

  The Guild Master finally addressed Alex directly. "I can tell you don't recognize the names. You haven't been to the Guild Hall—"

  "The slavers grabbed him first thing after he left the temple. Their inside man has fled," the Commander offered.

  Harkentoll's eyebrows rose. "Slavers? You finally caught them?" he asked with a relieved smile.

  Silvain's grimace deepened. "No, they're all dead." He pointed to Alex. "With him sitting at the center of the mess covered in their blood and gore."

  The Dwarf's expression fell. "The casualties?" he asked quietly.

  This was when the Commander's frown became a look of confusion. "Only the slavers and their guards. The slaves were unharmed."

  The Guild Master's surprise and relief were significant. "Not Agron, then?"

  Silvain's frown returned. "No, it was definitely Agron, but... targeted."

  The Guild Master locked eyes with the Commander. "Agron's history is filled with indiscriminate violence. Wanton destruction and chaos. I'd like to visit the slaver's compound to see for myself."

  Silvain nodded.

  The Dwarf looked to Alex. "I apologize for the delay in introducing myself. I'm Guild Master Grakkesh Harkentoll." He held out a big hand, which Alex accepted in his grip.

  "Alexander Frost, but you can call me Alex." With all the titles being mentioned, he felt the need to use his full name.

  "Might I see the God's marks?" Grakkesh asked.

  Alex sighed. "I wish I had pants, so showing them didn't mean I exposed myself every time I lifted the tunic."

  The Guild Master chuckled but said nothing, so Alex turned and lifted the garment to expose his lower back... and his ass too.

  "Thank you, Alex. That's quite the Trinity of Gods," Grakkesh said reverently.